Saying Cat in Different Languages

[roy]

Hi everyone!

I've started a personal project of learning how to say the word "cat" in all different kinds of languages! There is no actual purpose to this, I just like cats and learning languages.

I could just plug the word 'cat' into numerous different translation websites, but where is the fun in that? How do you guys say the word cat in your native language or in the language you are learning? Also, what sound does a cat make in that language? (ex: cats say meow)

Thanks for reading!

[IceVajal]

In German: Katze - Die Katze miaut.
In Dutch: de kat
Россия: кошка

I have no clue what "meow" sounds in Dutch or Russian, hope someone can add it.

[Explorer]

In Spanish: el gato maulla
In Japanese: 猫はにゃあと鳴く / neko wa nyā to naku. Literally: the cat makes the sound nyaa (meow).

[IceVajal]

Even if I don't learn French.... Le chat

[Chess]

Greek: μ γατα

[DJCat]

Swahili: paka

Paka anasema mwao (a cat says meow)

[4theAEsir]

The Klingon word for cat is chenmoH

[bar999]

In Polish it's kot and it says miau.
In Italian it's il gatto and I don't know how it sounds like.

[Sidor]

In Thai, well...

Typical word for cat you'll hear in everyday conversation: แมว (Maeo)
Poetic, likely encountered in some literature or as a part of random people's name/surname: วิฬาร์ (Wi-la)

For the sound cats make... yeah, Thais are being overly dramatic and have several assigned based on age/mood/sex of the cats.

Thai equivalent of meow: เหมียว / เมี้ยว
Kittens: มี้ (Mee)
The low-pitch sound tom cats make: หง่าว (Ngao)
Confused(?) / in a playful mood: แง้ว (Ngaeo)

[DmGabin]

See the linked image (found in a Telegram group, not sure about the author, and the comment is fun):

https://ibb.co/HxhnKxh

[Deleted User 114]

I am learning Arabic…

Cat in Arabic: قطة

Pronunciation using English letters: Qita (English letters can’t really describe how it sounds, you can listen to how it is pronounced here- https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&t ... =translate)

Meow in Arabic: مُواء

Pronunciation in English letters: muwaa'

[Corinnebelle]

I am learning Arabic…

Cat in Arabic: قطة

Pronunciation using English letters: Qita (English letters can’t really describe how it sounds, you can listen to how it is pronounced here- https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&t ... =translate)

Meow in Arabic: مُواء

Pronunciation in English letters: muwaa'

I put it into Forvo and it sounds like Kip'ba to me. Is that my bad language ears?

[siarzhuk]

In Belarusian: кот/котка/кацяня́ (cat / cat feminin/ kitty) мя́ўкае (meows) мурчы́ць (purrs)

[Deleted User 114]

I put it into Forvo and it sounds like Kip'ba to me. Is that my bad language ears?

You can hear the word a lot clearer here:

[Corinnebelle]

And that sounds like coiypah. Arabic is a rich language.

[SweNedGuy]

In German: Katze - Die Katze miaut.
In Dutch: de kat
Россия: кошка

I have no clue what "meow" sounds in Dutch or Russian, hope someone can add it.

De kat miauwt (Dutch and Frisian); Die kat miaau (Afrikaans);

[IceVajal]

In German: Katze - Die Katze miaut.
In Dutch: de kat
Россия: кошка

I have no clue what "meow" sounds in Dutch or Russian, hope someone can add it.

De kat miauwt (Dutch and Frisian); Die kat miaau (Afrikaans);

Almost like the German term, just one letter added. I will remember this!

[Theron126]

See the linked image (found in a Telegram group, not sure about the author, and the comment is fun):

https://ibb.co/HxhnKxh

The comment is funny but a bit wrong. In Romanian the c is pronounced as a hard k, except before i and e when it's pronounced as English ch. So pisică is pronounced like Russian писика.

[Saperlipopette!]

Theodore Geisel made up a song with cat in several languages. A few of the early translations are true but then he made things up

• Cat in the hat

The cat sounds in French are maiuler, siffler, et ronronner. Meowing, hissing, purring.

[AndrewMRos]

In Klingon it is vIghro'. I don't think there is a specific noise that cats make.

[Davey944676]

And why not?

"cath" means cat in both Welsh and Cornish.

As an aside, the female name "Catherine" is often shortened to either "Cath" or "Cat"...

[Davey944676]

The Romanian for cat is pisic (male) and pisică (female)

But Romanian sometimes does cute-sounding words as well as logical ones, and the word for a little girl kitten is "pisicuță". (pronounced pisicutsa)

Aw, how sweet is that!

[Dana_Dany Danuta]

The Romanian for cat is pisic (male) and pisică (female)

But Romanian sometimes does cute-sounding words as well as logical ones, and the word for a little girl kitten is "pisicuță". (pronounced pisicutsa)

Aw, how sweet is that!

Hi, very cute!

I know that a little girl is "pisicuță" because I'm learning Romanian too. hehe!

Davey, let me tell you that in Polish you say "kot", but we often use caressing phrases such as: "kotku, koteczku, koteczko, kotuniu, kotusiu, kociaku, kociaczku, kociku, kocie, kotuś" in relation to close people and more often to women, although most of them are grammatically masculine

Budzą sympatię dzięki skojarzeniom z urodą i zachowaniem kota — jego gibkością, zwinnością, miękkim futerkiem. Wypowiadane ciepło i cicho, po prostu łaszą się jak kot.

...polskie koty miauczą: miau, miau, albo mruczą: mru, mru...

[Davey944676]

...Budzą sympatię dzięki skojarzeniom z urodą i zachowaniem kota...

"...They evoke sympathy thanks to their associations with the beauty and behavior of a cat.."

O tak, kocice i kotki są piękne i mają tę rzadką kombinację cech, która sprawia, że ​​ludzie podziwiają ich niezależność - i jednocześnie chcą je pielęgnować!

Istoty ludzkie są bezsilni wobec uroków kocic i kotek...

Oh yes, cats and kittens are beautiful and have that rare combination of traits that make people admire their independence - and at the same time want to nurture them!

Human beings are powerless against the charms of cats and kittens ...

[IceVajal]

...skojarzeniom z urodą i zachowaniem kota...

Human beings are powerless against the charms of cats and kittens ...

Absolutely! About a year ago I fell in love with a black&white beauty, so a third cat moved in. It wasn't planned at all. But I love my little fluffy Oreo cat!

[EranBarLev]

In Hebrew: חתול = khatool
The cat meows = החתול מיילל = hakhatool meyalel.

[roy]

Since no one has said it yet, I'll add my own :]

In Mandarin Chinese, 'cat' is 猫 (māo), and the noise they make is 喵 (miāo)

'Kitten' is 小猫 (xiǎo māo) which literally means 'little cat'

[SheTuti]

So, in French we say a cat (un chat) miaule, in Italian (un gatto) miagola and in Vietnamese (một con mèo) meo meo...

[Meli578588]

Мачка in Slavic .

[Dana_Dany Danuta]

See the linked image (found in a Telegram group, not sure about the author, and the comment is fun):

https://ibb.co/HxhnKxh

DmGabin, thank you for this great map with the names of cats in different parts of Europe.