‘雌雄’ literally combines ‘雌’ (cí), meaning ‘female’, and ‘雄’ (xióng), meaning ‘male’. Together, it functions as a compound noun meaning ‘male and female’, especially when referring to animals — for example, in biology, ecology, or wildlife observation. It emphasizes the biological distinction between sexes and is commonly used in formal, scientific, or descriptive contexts rather than casual speech.

The term carries a neutral, objective tone and often appears in phrases like ‘雌雄同体’ (hermaphrodite) or ‘分辨雌雄’ (to distinguish male from female). Unlike the more general ‘男女’ (nán nǚ), which refers exclusively to human males and females, ‘雌雄’ is rarely applied to people and is almost never used for social or gender-related concepts — it’s strictly biological and zoological. You’ll frequently encounter it in nature documentaries, animal husbandry, or research reports about species behavior and reproduction.