Using “Elle” in Spanish
Any Spanish speaker already knows the pronouns “ella” and “él.” These are what we use every day to refer to individuals in the third person: most often “ella” for a woman and “él” for a man. But there are not only women and men in this world; nonbinary and gender expansive people also exist and we need to be able to use non-gendered pronouns in order to be gender-affirming for everyone.
For English speakers, referring to someone in a gender-neutral way only requires the use of singular “they.” But in Spanish “they” translates to “ellos” or “ellas” which are not gender-neutral. So what can you do to be inclusive?
Recently, many people have begun to use the neopronoun “elle” (with its corresponding direct object pronoun “le”) as a possible alternative to the binary options “él” and “ella.”
SUBJECT PRONOUN EXAMPLES
He got home very late. His mom scolded him.
Él llegó muy tarde a casa. Su mamá lo regañó.
She got home very late. Her mom scolded her.
Ella llegó muy tarde a casa. Su mamá la regañó.
They got home very late. Their mom scolded them.
Elle llegó muy tarde a casa. Su mamá le regañó.
Noun Modifications
Using “elle” requires additional modifications, since, like pronouns, most articles, nouns, and adjectives in Spanish have a masculine or feminine grammatical gender. In order not to misgender the nonbinary people in our lives, a gender-neutral ending is needed for nouns like “amigo/amiga” or adjectives like “bonita/bonito.”
Previously, the x and @ sign have been used to modify words and create inclusive versions. However, pronunciation is difficult with these two options, and it also proves to be an obstacle for people who use screenreaders. Inclusion must also include people with disabilities. For this reason, in conjunction with “elle,” the use of the -e ending is now used to create gender-neutral articles, nouns, adjectives and pronouns for words that typically have only two gendered options.
The way to create gender-neutral articles, nouns, adjectives and pronouns is super easy: you take the feminine gender version of the word and
If it ends in -ga, remove the -a and add -ue
If it ends in -ca, exchange the C for a Q, remove the -a, and add -ue
If it ends in any other letter with -a, remove the -a, and add -e
NOUN EXAMPLES
He is a very wise teacher.
Él es un maestro muy sabio.
She is a very wise teacher.
Ella es una maestra muy sabia.
They are a very wise teacher
Elle es une maestre muy sabie.
We are annoyed with the weather.
Nosotros estamos fastidiados con el clima.
Nosotras estamos fastidiadas con el clima.
Nosotres estamos fastidiades con el clima.
Gender-Ambiguous Words
For words that are already gender-ambiguous like “usted,” “modelo,” or “cortés,” no change is required, regardless of what letters it ends in.
AMBIGUOUS EXAMPLES
The student is very intelligent.
El estudiante es muy inteligente.
La estudiante es muy inteligente.
Le estudiante es muy inteligente.
You are friends.
Ustedes son amigas.
Ustedes son amigos.
Ustedes son amigues.
Final Note
Now you know how to use “elle” and the -e ending to be able to refer to nonbinary people in a way that's affirming and inclusive.
Although the evolution of languages is something completely natural – currently – neither “elle” nor the -e ending are officially recognized. However, their use continues to increase. And since there are no official grammar rules, there will be words that cannot easily be converted to a gender-neutral version (e.g. actor/actriz) and there will be people who use other pronouns or endings. It is good practice to ask what pronouns someone uses if you don't already know.
Lastly, we admit that it may sound a little strange to use “elle” and the -e ending in the very beginning. New things often make us uncomfortable, but with practice, we can create a Spanish-speaking culture where everyone is included and affirmed.
