Cat in Different Languages
Discover 'Cat' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Cats have been cherished companions to humans for thousands of years, and their significance extends far beyond mere pets. From ancient Egypt, where cats were revered as divine creatures, to modern-day pop culture icons, these furry felines have left an indelible mark on our collective consciousness. In many languages, the word for cat is as fascinating as the animal itself. For instance, in Spanish, gato is the term for cat, while in French, chat is used. In German, die Katze is the word, and in Japanese, neko is the term for our feline friends.
Understanding the translation of cat in different languages can be a fun and enlightening way to explore the cultural importance of cats around the world. From literature to art, cats have been a source of inspiration for centuries, and learning about the different words used to describe them can provide insight into how different cultures view and value these creatures.
Cat
Cat in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kat | ||
| In Afrikaans, "kat" can also refer to a male homosexual, originating from the Dutch slang word "kat" with the same meaning. | |||
| Amharic | ድመት | ||
| The word "ድመት" (cat) in Amharic is also a slang term used to refer to a person who is seen as cunning or sly. | |||
| Hausa | kuli | ||
| In Hausa, "kuli" can also refer to a type of basket or a small drum. | |||
| Igbo | pusi | ||
| The Igbo word “pusi” was onomatopoeic, likely derived from the hissing sound made by a cat. | |||
| Malagasy | saka | ||
| The Malagasy word "saka" derives from the Proto-Austronesian word "*kasá" and can also refer to a type of lemur. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mphaka | ||
| "Mphaka" can also refer to a clever or cunning person in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | katsi | ||
| The word 'katsi' in Shona also means 'to hunt' or 'to chase'. | |||
| Somali | bisad | ||
| Some speculate that "bisad" may derive from the Proto-Cushitic "bis-" meaning "animal." Alternatively, the word could have originated from the Egyptian "bas" meaning "cat." | |||
| Sesotho | katse | ||
| The word "katse" also refers to a type of large wild cat. | |||
| Swahili | paka | ||
| 'paka' in Swahili can also mean 'cooked food' or 'cooked vegetables' | |||
| Xhosa | ikati | ||
| The term "ikati" can also refer to a "wild cat" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | o nran | ||
| 'O nran' can also mean 'thief' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ikati | ||
| "I-k-t" (or "i-c-t") is the root for all cat-related words. Its use is extended to include all other Felidae such as lions. | |||
| Bambara | jakuma | ||
| Ewe | dadi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | injangwe | ||
| Lingala | niawu | ||
| Luganda | kkapa | ||
| Sepedi | katse | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔkra | ||
Cat in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قط | ||
| In Egypt, the word 'قط' ('cat') can also refer to a male cat specifically, and its feminine form is 'قطة' ('qitta'). | |||
| Hebrew | חתול | ||
| The word "חתול" (cat) in Hebrew is derived from an Egyptian word meaning "sacred animal," suggesting the high regard in which cats were held in ancient times. | |||
| Pashto | پيشو | ||
| "پيشو" (pisho), meaning "cat" in Pashto, comes from Persian "pishuk" and ultimately Sanskrit "billava." | |||
| Arabic | قط | ||
| In Egypt, the word 'قط' ('cat') can also refer to a male cat specifically, and its feminine form is 'قطة' ('qitta'). | |||
Cat in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mace | ||
| In Albanian, "Mace" can also refer to the traditional Albanian kilt worn by men called a fustanella. | |||
| Basque | katua | ||
| The word 'katua' in Basque may also refer to a 'wildcat' or a 'ferret'. | |||
| Catalan | gat | ||
| The word "gat" in Catalan originally meant "animal" (similar to the word "beast" in English) and only later came to mean "cat" specifically. | |||
| Croatian | mačka | ||
| The Croatian word “mačka” (“cat”) likely originates from an Illyrian root, with cognates in neighboring languages. | |||
| Danish | kat | ||
| The word "kat" in Danish is derived from the ancient Egyptian word "kau", meaning "male cat." | |||
| Dutch | kat | ||
| The word "kat" in Dutch can also refer to a type of sailing boat or a male cat. | |||
| English | cat | ||
| The word "cat" may derive from Medieval Latin "cattus" or the Late Latin "catus," meaning "domestic cat." | |||
| French | chat | ||
| The word "chat" in French, while meaning "cat," is derived from the Vulgar Latin "cattus" and is cognate with the Spanish "gato" and the Italian "gatto." | |||
| Frisian | kat | ||
| In Middle Frisian, “kat” also refers to a ship’s anchor and, less often, a large, domestic tomcat. | |||
| Galician | gato | ||
| In Galician, "gato" can also refer to one's pet, regardless of type (dog, cat, bird, etc.). | |||
| German | katze | ||
| In Middle High German, "katze" had the additional connotation of "female predator", hence the term "Katzenjammer" (hangover) which was thought to be caused by an evil cat-like creature. | |||
| Icelandic | köttur | ||
| The Icelandic word for "cat" köttur, originally meant a domestic animal that was fed meat scraps | |||
| Irish | cat | ||
| In Irish, the word 'cat' can also refer to a domestic ferret. | |||
| Italian | gatto | ||
| In Italian, "gatto" can also refer to a mischievous person, a lover, or a person with a hoarse voice. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kaz | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Kaz" can also refer to a "tomcat" or a "male cat". | |||
| Maltese | qattus | ||
| The Maltese word 'qattus' also refers to the male cat, while a female cat is referred to as 'qtates' and a group as 'qtates' or 'qtatesa'. | |||
| Norwegian | katt | ||
| The word "katt" in Norwegian is cognate with the German word "Katze" and the English word "cat". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | gato | ||
| It is used to refer to the game played with marbles, and also to a type of knife with a thick blade. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cat | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, cat has the alternate meaning "a young or small boy" and comes from the Old Irish "catu". | |||
| Spanish | gato | ||
| "Gato" can also mean "thief" or "smart person" in Spanish, possibly deriving from the idea of a cat being stealthy or cunning. | |||
| Swedish | katt | ||
| Katt can also mean a type of ship in Swedish, as well as to throw or toss something. | |||
| Welsh | cath | ||
| The word "cath" in Welsh can also refer to a marten or a wildcat. | |||
Cat in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | кошка | ||
| The word "кошка" can also mean "female cat" or "kitten". | |||
| Bosnian | mačka | ||
| The word 'mačka' may also refer to a kind of fishing net or a tool for cutting hair. | |||
| Bulgarian | котка | ||
| The word "котка" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "kotъka", meaning "young cat". | |||
| Czech | kočka | ||
| The Czech word "kočka" also means a beautiful or attractive woman. | |||
| Estonian | kass | ||
| "Kass" can also refer to a | |||
| Finnish | kissa | ||
| The Finnish word for 'cat' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *kat- meaning 'to scratch'. | |||
| Hungarian | macska | ||
| "Macska" is related to the word "mackó" (teddy bear) and to the verb "macsol" (to grope). | |||
| Latvian | kaķis | ||
| The word "kaķis" is a loanword from German "Katze" meaning cat. | |||
| Lithuanian | katė | ||
| The word "katė" may have originated from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kat-os", meaning "domestic cat". Alternatively, it may have come from the Turkic word "katır", meaning "female horse". | |||
| Macedonian | мачка | ||
| "Мачка" also means "spasm" in Macedonian, derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*mękati" meaning "to twist, to writhe, to soften". | |||
| Polish | kot | ||
| The term 'kot' can also refer to a tomcat or stud male cat. | |||
| Romanian | pisică | ||
| The Romanian word "pisică" comes from the Latin word "feles" meaning "cat" and from the Slavic word "piska" meaning "squeak" or "whistle". | |||
| Russian | кот | ||
| The Russian word 'Кот' (cat) may have originated from the Mongolian word 'хот' or the Old Slavonic root 'kotъ' meaning 'castrated animal'. | |||
| Serbian | мачка | ||
| The Serbian word "мачка" (mačka) likely derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*kotъka" which also meant "cat" and is related to the Albanian word "mace". | |||
| Slovak | kat | ||
| The word "kat" in Slovak has Germanic origins, sharing a root with the English words "cat" and "kitten." | |||
| Slovenian | mačka | ||
| In Croatian, "mačka" means "stepmother" which may originate from the association of cats with witches in European folklore. | |||
| Ukrainian | кішка | ||
| The word "кішка" in Ukrainian can also refer to a type of hair or a kind of small bell. | |||
Cat in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বিড়াল | ||
| In old Bengali texts like Mangalkavyas, the word 'বিড়াল' denoted jackals and other wild animals. | |||
| Gujarati | બિલાડી | ||
| "બિલાડી" (cat) possibly comes from the Sanskrit word "vicitra" meaning "various" or "multicoloured". | |||
| Hindi | बिल्ली | ||
| The word 'बिल्ली' (cat) may derive from an old word 'बालु' or 'वालु,' meaning 'sand' or 'hairless,' referring to a cat's fur texture or its ability to bury its excrement in sand. | |||
| Kannada | ಬೆಕ್ಕು | ||
| The word "ಬೆಕ್ಕು" also means "a clever person" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | പൂച്ച | ||
| The word "പൂച്ച" can also refer to a type of small, round vegetable that is often used in curries. | |||
| Marathi | मांजर | ||
| The word 'मांजर' (māñjar) also means 'a beautiful or charming woman' in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | बिरालो | ||
| The word 'बिरालो' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'विडाल' meaning 'a cat' | |||
| Punjabi | ਬਿੱਲੀ | ||
| "Billī," the Punjabi word for "cat," originally referred to a "female cat" or "kitten." Later, it became the generic term for both male and female cats. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පූසා | ||
| The word "පූසා" (cat) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "पिष्टा" (pishta), meaning "ground". While the literal meaning suggests something finely ground, it's unclear how this relates to a cat. | |||
| Tamil | பூனை | ||
| In Tamil, the word பூனை (pūnai) also means "male cat" or "tomcat". | |||
| Telugu | పిల్లి | ||
| The word 'పిల్లి' can also refer to a female cat or a young cat. | |||
| Urdu | کیٹ | ||
| Urdu word "کیٹ" also means "a young or small child." | |||
Cat in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 猫 | ||
| 貓 ('cat') also means 'to scratch' in Chinese, referring to cats' claws. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 貓 | ||
| 貓 in Chinese can also refer to the 6th Chinese zodiac animal, or a person who is agile and sly. | |||
| Japanese | ネコ | ||
| The word ネコ can also refer to a type of wooden clog in the shape of a cat's face. | |||
| Korean | 고양이 | ||
| The word "고양이" can also refer to a person who is lazy or unmotivated, similar to the English expression "couch potato". | |||
| Mongolian | муур | ||
| In Mongolian, "муур" not only means "cat," but also refers to a young male camel or horse. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြောင် | ||
Cat in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kucing | ||
| "Kucing" also means "to steal" in Javanese and other Indonesian languages. | |||
| Javanese | kucing | ||
| "Kucing" in Javanese is also used to refer to | |||
| Khmer | ឆ្មា | ||
| The word "ឆ្មា" is also used to refer to a type of traditional Khmer musical instrument, similar to a gong. | |||
| Lao | ແມວ | ||
| "ແມວ" is likely derived from the Proto-Tai *muːɣ, which also means "cat" in many Tai languages. | |||
| Malay | kucing | ||
| "Kucing" also refers to a small traditional Malay percussion instrument. | |||
| Thai | แมว | ||
| The Thai word "แมว" (cat) is derived from the Mon-Khmer language and is related to the Khmer word "មៅ" (cat). | |||
| Vietnamese | con mèo | ||
| "Con mèo" means "cat" in Vietnamese, but it can also refer to other felines, such as tigers or leopards. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pusa | ||
Cat in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | pişik | ||
| Pişik, meaning "cat" in Azerbaijani, derives from Old Turkic pičig "young mammal." | |||
| Kazakh | мысық | ||
| "Мысық" is also a term of endearment meaning "my precious little one". | |||
| Kyrgyz | мышык | ||
| The word "мышык" is also used to refer to other animals, such as squirrels, hedgehogs, and weasels. | |||
| Tajik | гурба | ||
| The Tajik word for "cat", "гурба", is cognate with the Persian word "gurba", which has the additional meaning of "vagabond" or "homeless person". | |||
| Turkmen | pişik | ||
| Uzbek | mushuk | ||
| The Uzbek word for "cat", "mushuk," derives from an ancient Turkic word for "animal with fur." | |||
| Uyghur | مۈشۈك | ||
Cat in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pōpoki | ||
| The word "pōpoki" is possibly derived from the sound cats make while purring. | |||
| Maori | ngeru | ||
| The word "ngeru" is also used in Maori to describe a type of shark. | |||
| Samoan | pusi | ||
| "Pusi," which means "cat" in Samoan, also refers to a "young girl" or a "young coconut." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pusa | ||
| "Pusa" likely originated from the Sanskrit pums, meaning "tomcat". | |||
Cat in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phisi | ||
| Guarani | mbarakaja | ||
Cat in International Languages
| Esperanto | kato | ||
| The word 'kato' is of Japanese origin and originally meant 'small tiger' | |||
| Latin | cattus | ||
| In addition to "cat," "cattus" can also refer to the domestic cat's "miaow" in Latin. | |||
Cat in Others Languages
| Greek | γάτα | ||
| "Γάτα" can also refer to a woman of loose morals. | |||
| Hmong | miv | ||
| The word "miv" can also mean "kitten" or "small animal" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | pisîk | ||
| In some Kurdish dialects, "pisîk" can also mean "kitten" or "small cat." | |||
| Turkish | kedi | ||
| The word 'kedi' derives from the Middle Persian 'gādīg', cognate with the Armenian ՝´գատու (katu), the Kurdish 'pısik' or 'pişik', and English 'cat' from Proto-Germanic *kattuz. | |||
| Xhosa | ikati | ||
| The term "ikati" can also refer to a "wild cat" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | קאַץ | ||
| In Yiddish, "קאַץ" has an alternate meaning of "a person who is quick-witted or crafty." | |||
| Zulu | ikati | ||
| "I-k-t" (or "i-c-t") is the root for all cat-related words. Its use is extended to include all other Felidae such as lions. | |||
| Assamese | মেকুৰী | ||
| Aymara | phisi | ||
| Bhojpuri | बिलार | ||
| Dhivehi | ބުޅާ | ||
| Dogri | बिल्ली | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pusa | ||
| Guarani | mbarakaja | ||
| Ilocano | pusa | ||
| Krio | pus | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پشیلە | ||
| Maithili | बिलाड़ि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯧꯗꯣꯡ | ||
| Mizo | zawhte | ||
| Oromo | adurree | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବିଲେଇ | ||
| Quechua | misi | ||
| Sanskrit | मार्जारः | ||
| Tatar | мәче | ||
| Tigrinya | ድሙ | ||
| Tsonga | ximanga | ||