Gender indicates whether a noun in Pashto is considered to be masculine or feminine. Masculine nouns and feminine nouns differ in several ways:
a) They may differ lexically, by denoting animate beings that are male or female:
"father" - [plaar] پْلار
"mother" - [mor] موُر
"daughter" - [lur] لوُر
b) They may differ by changing a stem and/or adding an ending to a stem:
"ram" - [maGh] مَږ → "ewe" - [meGh] مېږ
"cow" - [ghwaa] غْوا → "bull" - [ghwayáy] غْوَﺋﻲ
"rooster" - [chArg] چِرْگ → "hen" - [chÁrga] چِرْگَه
c) They may differ by adding the words "male" - [nar] نَر or "female" -[Khә́dza] ښٌڂَه to the names of animals:
"drake" - [nar hilÁy] نَر هیلۍ ,
"duck" - [KhÁdza hilÁy] ښٌڂَه هیلۍ
d) They may differ by adding different endings:
Nouns that end in consonants or in -ی [-ay], -ای [-aay], -وُی [-oy], -وُی [-uy], -ه [-A], and -و [-u] are masculine, as are nouns that end in -ى [-i] or -چى [-chi] and denote a representative of some profession or occupation. There are also a few masculine words that end in -ه [-a], -ا [-aa], although these words are exceptions to the general rule. See Masculine Gender below.
Nouns ending in -ه [-a], -ا [-aa], -ې [-e], -و [-o], -ۍ [-Ay], -ع [ ' ], or -ح [-h] are feminine, as are some words that end in -ږ [-Gh], -ڂ [-dz], -ښت [-Kht], and -ن [-An]. See Feminine Gender below.
Masculine Gender
The following nouns are masculine:
a) Nouns denoting animate beings that are male (people or animals):
"brother" - [wror] ورُور
"brother-in-law" - [lewár] لېوَر
b) Nouns that end in consonants:
"table" - [mez] مېز
"name" - [num]نوُم
"brother" - [wror]وْرُور
c) Nouns that end in -ي [-ay]:
"man" - [saRáy] سَړَی
"winter" - [zhÁmay] ژٌمَی
"member" - [ghÁRay] غٌړَی
d) Nouns that end in -ای [-aay]:
"place" - [dzaay] ڂای
"end" - [paay] پای
"tea" - [chaay] چای
e) Nouns that end in -وُی [-oy]:
"son" - [zoy]زوُی
"hare" - [soy] سوُی
"stream" - [toy] توُی
f) Nouns that end in -وُی [-uy]:
"smell" - [buy] بوُی
"temper" - [khuy] خوُی
"irrigation ditch" - [juy] جوُی
g) Nouns that end in -ه [-A]:
"husband" - [meRÁ] مېړٌه
"bird" - [murghÁ]مُرْغٌه
"hair" - [weKhtÁ] وېښْتٌه
h) Nouns that end in -و [-u]:
"knife" - [chaakú]چاقُو
"broom" - [jaarú] جارُو
"forearm" - [baazú]بازُو
i) Nouns that end in -ی [-i] or -چى [-chi] and denote a representative of some profession or occupation:
"gunner" - [topchí] تُوپْچى
"prisoner" - [bandí]بَنْدى
"spectator" - [nAndaarchí]نٌنْدارچى
j) A few words that end in -ه [-a], -ا [-aa] and are exceptions to the general rule:
"guest" - [melmá] مېلمَه
"prince" - [shahzaadá] شَهْزادَه
"blockhead" - [lawdá] لَوْدَه ,
"pedestrian" - [tsaRá] څَړَه ,
"neighbor" - [hamsaayá]هَمْسایَه
"acquaintance" - [aashnaá] آشنا
"old man" - [buDaá] بُوډا ,
"daddy" - [baabaá] بابا
"uncle" (father's brother) - [akaá] - اکا ,
"uncle" (mother's brother) - [maamaá] ماما ,
"mullah" - [mullaá] مُلا ,
"copyist" - [mirzaá] میرزا
Feminine Gender:
The following nouns are feminine:
a) Nouns denoting animate beings that are female (people or animals):
"sister" - [khor] خُور
"sister-in-law (husband's sister)" - [ndror] نْدْرُور
b) Nouns that end in -ه [-a]:
"eye" - [stÁrga] سْتٌرْگَه
"woman" - [KhÁdza] ښٌڂَه
"apple" - [maNá] مَڼَه
c) Nouns that end in -ا [ -aa]:
"back" - [shaa] شا
"well" - [tsaa] څا
d) ending in -ې [-e]:
"female friend" - [malgÁre] مَلْگٌرې
"fiancée" - [naawé] ناوې
"pig" - [sarkúze]سَرْکُوزې
e) Nouns that end in -و [-o]:
"monkey" - [bizó] بیزُو
"cradle" - [zaangó] زانگُو
f) Nouns that end in -ى [-i]:
"joy" - [Khaadí] ښادى
"honesty" - [riKhtiní] ریښْتینی
g) Nouns that end in -ۍ [-Ay]:
"bread" - [DoDÁy] ډُوډۍ
"window" - [kARkÁy] کٌړْکۍ
"moon" - [spoGhmÁy] سْپُوږْمۍ
h) Some nouns that end in [-Gh], [-dz], [-sht], or [-An] which are exceptions to the general rule:
"embrace" - [gheGh] غېږ
"day" - [wradz] وْرَڂ
"month" - [myaasht] میاشْت
"needle" - [stAn] سْتٌن
"road' - [laar] لار
"threshold"- [dArshÁl] دٌرْشٌل
"blanket" - [bRastÁn] بْړَسْتٌن
"comb" - [GhmAndz] ږْمٌنْڂ
"hand" - [khapÁR] خَپٌړ
"leather" - [tsarmÁn] څَرْمٌن
"elbow" - [tsangál] څَنْگَل
"cave" - [smAts] سْمٌڅ
"cow-shed" - [ghujál] غُوجَل
"lap" - [lamÁn] لَمٌن
"span" - [lwesht] لْوېشْت
"paw" - [mangúl] مَنْگُول
i) Nouns that end in -ع [ ' ] or -ح [-h] (with the preceding vowels [i], [u], [o], [aa]):
"beginning" - [shurú'] شُروع
"reform" - [islaáh] اصْلاح
"rest" - [tafríh] تَفْریح .
See Also: