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Which question is idiomatic if we talk about animals? If both versions are correct, could you explain why "a" can be omitted. Male & female are countable nouns in the questions (not adjectives), right?

Is it male or female?

Is it a male or female?

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    Your usage is as adjective in the first example and noun in the second, where I would try to use an appropriate one, if it exists: "Is it a bull or a cow?" Also stag/hind, cock/hen etc. Jun 29, 2021 at 19:59

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Both are grammatically valid.

"Male" and "female" can be used as either nouns or adjectives.

As a noun, one might say, for example, "Three males entered the room."

As an adjective, one could say, "Male peacocks have fancy tails." Note "male" here is an adjective modifying "peacock".

So you could say, "Is it a male?", using male as a noun. Or you could say, "Is it male?", using male as an adjective.

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  • What version do you usually use if you want to know the gender of the dog?
    – Sergei
    Jun 29, 2021 at 20:14
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    If I have a guess, I usually use the noun. "Is it a male?" But if I don't have a guess and want to mention both possibilities, I use the adjective. "Is it male or female?" I can't give a good reason for why I am inconsistent like this. The two are pretty much interchangeable.
    – Jay
    Jun 29, 2021 at 20:17
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    For a pet dog: "Is it a boy or girl?" We often refer to pets as "good boy" etc
    – James K
    Jun 29, 2021 at 20:32
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    @Sergey: "Female" is clinical; using "a female" to refer to a human may be perceived as offensive in some contexts (prefer "a woman/girl" depending on age - an adult human is never a "girl"). But when talking about animals, "girl" is mildly anthropomorphizing and would be more common with pets than with e.g. lab or farm animals.
    – Kevin
    Jun 29, 2021 at 22:09
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    No less confusing, but I usually ask, "Is it a he or a she?"
    – gotube
    Jul 2, 2021 at 22:35

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