Can you say dude to a girl

Improve this question. Mitch Mitch To clarify, the situation I'm asking about is as a 'call-word' a vocative, a stand alone hey-you what -is- the word for this , not as a referential noun. The later is -very- gendered, it says exactly what sex a person is, and the feminine version is most likely 'lady'.

No one in Australia uses Bruce or Sheila as pronouns. Never have, never will. Its as accurate to say that as it is to say Australians like to "throw shrimp on the barbie".

Dudette is a feminine version I use. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. I've heard the Spanish chica increasingly used this way by English speakers: chica noun a female friend. Also used endearingly as "chiquita". What's up, chica? Improve this answer. Community Bot 1. Callithumpian Callithumpian I've heard this as well, and it is the best counterpart to "dude" I can think of.

I find this the best sounding so far, but it sounds very nuyorican. But maybe we should just start using it. Or stick with dudette a web search gives this as thee most popular answer , but to me sounds every time like a neologism. Someone downvoted this, it would help to know why. For the sake of clarity, chica is Spanish for "young girl" rather than "female friend". In particular, there is no connotation of friendship whatsoever in chica to a Spaniard's ears.

I am aware this may be different elsewhere. Just for the record. It's not necessarily a bad word, but I don't recall ever hearing someone use "chica" to address a woman. At least in places I've lived -- mostly in New York, Ohio, and Michigan -- it is not a word in anything remotely resembling common use. Of course, though, this is all hugely subculture-dependent! Macke Macke 1 1 silver badge 5 5 bronze badges. Dudeatrix is never used. Claire Bowie Claire Bowie 1 1 silver badge 2 2 bronze badges.

I wonder why it never took off? I saw that I haven't yet seen a good semantic transition etymology of the word that goes from 'city clicker' to 'general vocative for surfers'. Mohandas Grande Mohandas Grande 3 3 silver badges 7 7 bronze badges. I've always said "chick" in roughly the same way, and assume that it's an anglicized version of "chica". I would never use "dude" that's bros, dude or "chica" muy Spanish, dude. Really, dude? No one says dudette, unless they're being self-conscious about it.

PomoLoco PomoLoco 71 1 1 silver badge 2 2 bronze badges. Evan Harper Evan Harper 1 1 silver badge 7 7 bronze badges. Tracey O Tracey O 1 1 silver badge 3 3 bronze badges. For me, the most natural female replacement for dude would be hon short for 'honey', used rather sarcastically : Look, dude, I'm not interested. So, language can change—and change back. Language evolution tends to be rather random. McWhorter, though, would not bet on the reformers in this guys debate. He thinks that the gender-neutral guys has irreversible momentum.

Language changes whether you like it or not. Even if guys is widely regarded as gender-neutral, there will still be a sizable contingent of conscientious objectors. Plenty will disagree with that, and this is the way language evolves—not in an orderly line, but as a messy argument. And that is a blessing—words deserve regular interrogation. One such interrogator is a man working at a pharmaceutical company in New Jersey who had thought deeply about the use of guys in his office.

Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic. Popular Latest. The Atlantic Crossword. Sign In Subscribe. Example: Yo!! That was insane Damn!!

That was Insane Dude, that was insane. Get what I mean?? LowKey oh i totally understand thank you so much! No problem. The one learning a language! Learn about premium features. Tired of searching? HiNative can help you find that answer you're looking for.