gen

English Online Dictionary. What means gen‎? What does gen mean?

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɛn/
• Homophones: Jen, Gen
• Rhymes: -ɛn

Etymology 1

Clipping of general.

Noun

gen (uncountable)

1. (chiefly UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, informal) Information.
2. (birdwatching) Information about the location of a bird.
3. (fandom slang) Fan fiction that does not specifically focus on romance or sex.

Synonyms

• (fan fiction): genfic

See also

• genned in
• gen up

Etymology 2

Noun

gen (plural gens)

1. Alternative letter-case form of Gen (“member of the Gen Movement”)

Etymology 3

Shortened from generate and generator.

Verb

gen (third-person singular simple present gens, present participle genning, simple past and past participle genned)

1. To generate using an automated process, especially a computer program.

Noun

gen (plural gens)

1. (slang) A generator (device that converts mechanical to electrical energy).

   Synonym: genny

Etymology 4

Shortened from genetic engineering

Verb

gen (third-person singular simple present gens, present participle genning, simple past and past participle genned)

1. (science fiction) To genetically engineer.

Etymology 5

Etymology unknown. Possibilities include:

• Clipping of argent
• Clipping of generalise, from back slang for English shilling.

Noun

gen (plural gens)

1. (obsolete, UK, slang) A shilling.

Etymology 6

Clipping of generation.

Noun

gen (plural gens)

1. (informal) A generation (group of people born in a specific range of years).
2. (informal, in combination) A specific version of something in a chronological sequence.

Derived terms

Anagrams

• Neg, ENG, neg, Eng., eng, neg., eng., NGE, /neg, NEG

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from German Gen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈʒɛn]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈd͡ʒen]

Noun

gen m (plural gens)

1. gene

Related terms

Further reading

• “gen” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “gen” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “gen”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “gen” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from German Gen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡɛn]
• Hyphenation: gen
• Rhymes: -ɛn

Noun

gen m inan

1. gene

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• “gen”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “gen”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “gen”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Danish

Etymology 1

From German Gen, from Ancient Greek γενεά (geneá, “generation, descent”), from the aorist infinitive of γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “I come into being”). Coined by the Danish biologist Wilhelm Ludvig Johannsen in a German-language publication.

Noun

gen n (singular definite genet, plural indefinite gener)

1. (genetics) gene

Declension

Etymology 2

Verb

gen

1. imperative of genne

References

• “gen” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Etymology

From German Gen, from Ancient Greek γενεά (geneá, “generation, descent”), from the aorist infinitive of γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “I come into being”). Coined by the Danish biologist Wilhelm Ludvig Johannsen in a German-language publication.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɣɛn/

Noun

gen n (plural genen)

1. gene

Descendants

• → Indonesian: gen

Anagrams

• eng

German

Etymology

From Middle High German gēn, gein, from gegen with elision of intervocalic -g- (compare Getreide, Maid). Doublet of gegen (“against”). Cognate with Yiddish קיין (keyn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡeːn/, /ɡɛn/
• Homophones: gehn, Gen (according to the first pronunciation)

Preposition

gen [with accusative]

1. (literary, somewhat dated) in the direction; to; towards (a place or time)

   gen Norden ― to the north, northwards

   gen Abend ― towards the evening, in the late afternoon

Synonyms

• (in) Richtung (place); gegen (time)

Further reading

• “gen” in Duden online
• “gen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Haitian Creole

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɛ̃/

Verb

gen

1. Contraction of genyen.

Icelandic

Etymology

Borrowed from German Gen.

Noun

gen n (genitive singular gens, nominative plural gen)

1. gene

Declension

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch gen.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈɡen/ [ˈɡen]
• Rhymes: -en
• Syllabification: gen

Noun

gen (plural gen-gen)

1. (genetics) gene (a theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms)

Derived terms

Further reading

• “gen” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Japanese

Romanization

gen

1. Rōmaji transcription of げん
2. Rōmaji transcription of ゲン

Malay

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch gen (“gene”), from German Gen (which was coined by Danish biologist Wilhelm Ludvig Johannsen in a German-language publication), from Ancient Greek γενεά (geneá, “generation, descent”), from the aorist infinitive of γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “I come into being”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡen/
• Rhymes: -en

Noun

gen (plural gen-gen)

1. gene
   1. (genetics) a theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms; a gene may take several values and in principle predetermines a precise trait of an organism's form (phenotype), such as hair colour.
   2. (molecular biology) locus: a segment of DNA or RNA from a cell's or an organism's genome, that may take several forms and thus parameterizes a phenomenon, in general the structure of a protein.

Derived terms

Further reading

• “gen” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Mandarin

Romanization

gen

1. Nonstandard spelling of gēn.
2. Nonstandard spelling of gén.
3. Nonstandard spelling of gěn.
4. Nonstandard spelling of gèn.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle English

Preposition

gen

1. Alternative form of gain (“against”)

Mwotlap

Etymology

From Proto-Torres-Banks *ɣani, from Proto-Oceanic *kani, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, from Proto-Austronesian *kaən. Cognate with Vurës gen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɣɛn/

Verb

gen

1. to eat (meat, vegetables)
2. to suffer (s.th. unpleasant)
3. to acquire (an honorific rank)
4. (transitive) (fire) to burn s.th.
5. (intransitive) (fire) to burn

Derived terms

• gengen

References

François, Alexandre. 2025. Online Mwotlap–English–French cultural dictionary. Electronic files. Paris: CNRS. (Pdf version) – entry gen.

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

gen n (definite singular genet, indefinite plural gener, definite plural gena or genene)

1. (biology) a gene

Usage notes

• Prior to a revision in 2020, this noun was also considered grammatically masculine. The form genen was then made obsolete.

References

• “gen” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

gen n (definite singular genet, indefinite plural gen, definite plural gena)

1. (biology) a gene

Usage notes

• Prior to a revision in 2020, this noun was also considered grammatically masculine. The forms genen, genar, and genane were then made obsolete.

References

• “gen” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ju.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jeːn/

Adverb

ġēn

1. still, yet
2. again, further

Old High German

Etymology

The form gēn appears early on in Bavarian, later spreading to eastern and southern Franconian and to the newly developing East Central German. Its origins are unknown. One theory invokes the original paradigm of Proto-West Germanic *gān, which had *ai in the 2nd and 3rd persons singular of the present; compare Middle Low German gân > he geit, modern Colognian jonn > hä jeiht, etc. The Old High German ē might thus be explained as a compromise vowel between ā and ei. What lends credence to this theory is the fact that Old High German ē cannot have developed regularly in the given position, as it only occurs before h, r, w, and word-finally.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡeːn/, (early) [ɡɛːn]

Verb

gēn

1. Alternative form of gān (“to go”)

Descendants

• Middle High German: gēn
  • German: gehen, gehn

See also

• stēn

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡʲen/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *gʷenom.

Noun

gen n or f

1. smile, laugh
2. sport, levity

Inflection

The Dictionary of the Irish Language believes that this was a u-stem, while Matasović disputes this classification since *giun would be expected from such a stem due to raising and u-infection; he declares it an o-stem. All forms except the nominative are unattested.

Derived terms

• gentraige

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

gen f

1. sword

Inflection

Mutation

References

Old Occitan

Adjective

gen m (feminine singular genta, masculine plural gens, feminine plural gentas)

1. attractive; pleasing; nice; fair; pleasant
   • 12th century, Bernard de Ventadour^(Wikisource)

References

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “genitus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volume 4: G H I, page 103

Polish

Etymology

Internationalism; compare English gene, French gène, German Gen, ultimately from Ancient Greek γενεᾱ́ (geneā́).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛn/
• Rhymes: -ɛn
• Syllabification: gen
• Homophone: -gen

Noun

gen m inan (related adjective genowy)

1. (genetics) gene (theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms; it may take several values and, in principle, predetermines a precise trait of an organism's form (phenotype), such as hair color)
2. (literary) gene (trait inherited from ancestors)

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• gen in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• gen in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• gen in PWN's encyclopedia

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin genus. The particle sense is likely to be a calque of English like.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒen/
• Rhymes: -en

Noun

gen n (plural genuri)

1. type, sort, kind

   Synonyms: fel, soi, tip

   ceva de genul (informal) ― something of the sort

2. (dated) way of being, manner, attitude
3. genre
4. (grammar) gender
5. (sociology) gender
6. (taxonomy) genus

Declension

Particle

gen (colloquial)

1. Filler word: like.
2. Precedes a quotation or description: like.

Derived terms

• fi gen

References

• gen in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from German Gen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxen/ [ˈxẽn]
• Rhymes: -en
• Syllabification: gen

Noun

gen m (plural genes)

1. gene

Derived terms

Further reading

• “gen”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swedish

Etymology 1

From Old Norse gegn (“straight, direct”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jeːn/

Adjective

gen (comparative genare, superlative genast)

1. gain; short, direct

Related terms

• gena
• genväg
• framgent

Etymology 2

From German Gen.

Noun

gen c

1. gene

Declension

Related terms

• genetik
• genetisk
• genom

References

• gen in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• gen in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• gen in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• eng.

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English again.

Adverb

gen

1. again

Turkish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɟæn/

Etymology 1

From Ottoman Turkish كیك (geñ), from Proto-Turkic *kēŋ (“wide, broad”).

Cognate with Yakut киэҥ (kieñ, “wide”), Bashkir киң (kiñ), Kazakh кең (keñ), etc.

Adjective

gen

1. (obsolete, dialectal) wide

   Synonym: geniş

   Antonym: dar

Derived terms

• genel
• genleşmek

Etymology 2

Noun

gen (definite accusative geni, plural genler)

1. (colloquial) A field that wasn't plowed for several years.

Etymology 3

Borrowed from French gene.

Noun

gen (definite accusative geni, plural genler)

1. (biology) gene

Declension

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

• gien

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [zɛn˧˧], [ɣɛn˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [jɛŋ˧˧], [ɣɛŋ˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [jɛŋ˧˧], [ɣɛŋ˧˧]
• Phonetic spelling: gien, ghen

Noun

gen

1. gene

Usage notes

• This is one of the rare cases in which a word's pronunciation differs from its spelling.

Derived terms

Vurës

Etymology

From Proto-Torres-Banks *ɣani, from Proto-Oceanic *kani, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, from Proto-Austronesian *kaən. Cognate with Maori kai, Malay makan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɣɛn/

Verb

gen

1. to eat (foods other than meat)

Derived terms

• gengen

References

Welsh

Alternative forms

• gennyf, gin

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɛn/

Pronoun

gen

1. (colloquial) first/second-person singular of gan

Zhuang

Etymology

From Proto-Tai *qeːnᴬ (“arm”). Cognate with Thai แขน (kɛ̌ɛn), Northern Thai ᨡᩯ᩠ᨶ, Lao ແຂນ (khǣn), Lü ᦶᦃᧃ (ẋaen), Tai Dam ꪵꪄꪙ, Shan ၶႅၼ် (khěn).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Zhuang) IPA^(key): /keːn˨˦/
• Tone numbers: gen¹
• Hyphenation: gen

Noun

gen (1957–1982 spelling gen)

1. (anatomy) arm

Zou

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡen˧/

Verb

gen

1. (transitive) to say

References

• Lukram Himmat Singh (2013) A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, page 41