There are a few ways to determine the difference between a male and female bowl, but it primarily depends on the bong. If the bowl places onto a tube tapering, then the bong is male while the bowl is female. If the downstem inserts into the bong, then the bowl is male, while the water pipe is female. The most common bowl across the industry is male, though gender doesn’t necessarily matter. Each piece shares similar functionalities; there are even adapters to help turn the bong’s joint to use the bowl.