Male and Female Symbol Copy and Paste (♂ ♀)
Male sign (Mars)
Unicode U+2642 · HTML ♂ · Alt code Alt+11 · Emoji 4.0 · Windows Win+.
Tap any symbol to copy it. Each tap also adds it to the box above, so you can copy several together.
Codes for every symbol on this page (Unicode, HTML, emoji version)
| Symbol | Name | Unicode | HTML | Emoji version | Windows Alt code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ♂ | Male sign (Mars) | U+2642 | ♂ | 4.0 | Alt+11 |
| ♀ | Female sign (Venus) | U+2640 | ♀ | 4.0 | Alt+12 |
| ⚥ | Male and female sign | U+26A5 | ⚥ | - | - |
| ⚢ | Doubled female sign | U+26A2 | ⚢ | - | - |
| ⚣ | Doubled male sign | U+26A3 | ⚣ | - | - |
| ⚤ | Interlocked female and male | U+26A4 | ⚤ | - | - |
| ⚧ | Transgender symbol | U+26A7 | ⚧ | 13.0 | - |
| ⚦ | Male with stroke | U+26A6 | ⚦ | - | - |
| ⚨ | Vertical male with stroke | U+26A8 | ⚨ | - | - |
| ⚩ | Horizontal male with stroke | U+26A9 | ⚩ | - | - |
| ⚲ | Neuter sign | U+26B2 | ⚲ | - | - |
| ☿ | Mercury sign | U+263F | ☿ | - | - |
The male female symbol pair is ♂ for male and ♀ for female, two of the most widely recognised signs in the world. The male symbol ♂ is a circle with an arrow pointing up and to the right, and the female symbol ♀ is a circle with a small cross below it.
Tap any symbol in the grid above to copy it, or use the Download PNG button for a transparent image. This page explains where these signs came from, what the combined gender symbols like ⚥, ⚢, ⚣ and ⚧ mean, and how to type ♂ and ♀ with Alt+11 and Alt+12.
Male Symbol ♂ and Female Symbol ♀: Meaning
In everyday use, ♂ means male, man or boy, and ♀ means female, woman or girl. You will see them on biology diagrams, medical and research forms, signboards, and in chats. The female sign is also called the Venus symbol, and the male sign symbol is also called the Mars symbol, because both began as planet signs.
| Symbol | Common name | Planet sign | Unicode |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♂ | Male symbol, men symbol | Mars | U+2642 |
| ♀ | Female symbol, women symbol, girl symbol | Venus | U+2640 |
A simple way to remember: the male sign points up and out with an arrow; the female sign has a cross underneath.
Where the Gender Symbols Came From
These signs are much older than their use for gender.
- Astronomy and astrology: ♂ was the sign of the planet Mars and ♀ the sign of the planet Venus. In astrology they are still used this way; Venus ♀ (Shukra) rules Taurus and Libra, and Mars ♂ (Mangal) rules Aries and Scorpio. See our zodiac symbols page for the full list of planet signs.
- Alchemy: old chemists used planet signs for metals. ♂ stood for iron and ♀ for copper, and ☿ (Mercury) stood for the metal mercury.
- Biology: in the 1700s the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus used ♂ and ♀ to mark male and female plants. Biologists then adopted them widely, and from there they spread to everyday life.
A popular story says ♂ is the shield and spear of Mars and ♀ is the hand mirror of Venus. It is a nice way to remember them, but historians think the shapes more likely grew out of short handwritten forms of the planets' Greek names. The exact origin is not certain.
Other Gender Symbols and What They Mean
Unicode includes several more signs built from ♂ and ♀. Their meanings come from how communities and scientists use them:
| Symbol | Unicode name | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| ⚥ | Male and female sign | Both male and female; used for intersex or androgyny, and as a gender symbol in general |
| ⚤ | Interlocked female and male sign | A man and a woman together, a couple |
| ⚢ | Doubled female sign | Widely used as a lesbian symbol |
| ⚣ | Doubled male sign | Widely used as a gay symbol |
| ⚧ | Male with stroke and male and female sign | The transgender symbol |
| ⚦ ⚨ ⚩ | Male with stroke (three forms) | Parts of combined gender-identity symbols; rarely used alone |
| ⚲ | Neuter | Neuter or genderless |
| ☿ | Mercury | Planet and metal sign; in older botany sometimes used for flowers with both male and female parts |
The transgender symbol ⚧ combines three arms on one circle: the cross of ♀, the arrow of ♂, and a third arm that joins an arrow and a stroke. Please use these signs respectfully; they identify real communities.
How to Type the Male Female Symbol
♂ and ♀ are among the few symbols here with Alt codes.
| Where | ♂ male | ♀ female |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (numeric keypad) | Alt+11 | Alt+12 |
| Word | 2642 then Alt+X | 2640 then Alt+X |
| HTML | ♂ | ♀ |
Using the Alt code: turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, type 11 or 12 on the numeric keypad (not the number row), then let go. These come from the old DOS character table and work in most Windows apps, but a few programs may show something else. Laptops without a keypad can use the Word method or Win+. and search "male sign" or "female sign".
Other signs (⚥ ⚢ ⚣ ⚤ ⚧): no Alt codes. In Word, type the code (for example 26A7) then Alt+X. On Mac, press Control+Command+Space and search "male", "female" or "transgender". In Google Docs use Insert, Special characters.
Phones: on Android and iPhone, open the emoji keyboard and search "male sign", "female sign" or "transgender". Phones show ♂️ and ♀️ as emoji. The same signs are hidden inside many emoji too: for example, a person emoji joined with ♀ becomes the woman version.
Practical Examples
- Biology class: a cross between a female and a male plant is written ♀ × ♂ (see the multiplication symbol page for ×).
- Forms and tables: a column with ♂ / ♀ saves space in a class list or survey.
- Gender equality symbol: people often write ♀ = ♂ or use ⚥ on posters about equal rights for women and men.
- Astrology: the Venus planet astrology symbol is ♀, so ♉ ♀ means Taurus ruled by Venus. See the Taurus symbol and Aries symbol pages.
- Bios: some people add ♀ or ♂ next to their name. For more decorative choices see cool symbols.
Common Mistakes
- Swapping them: the arrow ♂ is male and the cross ♀ is female, not the other way round.
- Typing 11 on the top row: Alt codes need the numeric keypad with Num Lock on.
- Mixing ♀ with ☿: Mercury ☿ has small horns on top of the circle; Venus ♀ does not.
- Mixing ♂ with arrows: ↗ is just an arrow; only ♂ means male. Browse arrow symbols if you need a plain arrow.
Frequently asked questions
Which symbol is female, ♀ or ♂?
♀ (circle with a cross below) is the female symbol, and ♂ (circle with an arrow) is the male symbol. They come from the old signs for Venus and Mars.
What is the Alt code for the male and female symbol?
Alt+11 gives ♂ and Alt+12 gives ♀. Hold Alt and type the numbers on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on.
What is the transgender symbol?
The transgender symbol is ⚧, a circle with the female cross, the male arrow and a third arm combining both. Its code point is U+26A7.
What is the lesbian symbol and the gay symbol?
Two interlocked female signs ⚢ are widely used as a lesbian symbol, and two interlocked male signs ⚣ as a gay symbol. They are used in LGBTQ communities and on Pride material.
Why is the female sign called the Venus symbol?
♀ was first the sign of the planet Venus in astronomy and astrology. Biologists later borrowed it for female, and the old name stayed.
How do I get the male symbol emoji on my phone?
Open the emoji keyboard and search "male sign". You will get ♂️, the emoji version of ♂. Search "female sign" for ♀️.