17 Words For Cat, Kitten, & Meow In Different Languages From Across The World

Written by: Kelli Brinegar
For more than five years, Kelli Brinegar has been using her ability to write and her passion for research to tell the tale of what cats are thinking and why. She has provided care to more than 30 cats in her lifetime.Read more
| Published on September 15, 2024

When including both native and non-native speakers, English is the most widely spoken language in the world. So, that means most of us use the words cat, kitten, and meow, when it comes to our kitties. But, there are billions more people in the world speaking other languages. Because of the varied languages across the globe, cat lovers who speak other languages have different words for their cats and kittens and the sound they make.

So, with the help of Google Translate and a little research, let’s take our feline lexicon to new levels and learn the words that mean cat, kitten, and meow in an array of different tongues. You’re sure to impress your kitty with your new vocabulary! In order of language popularity according to Lingoda, here’s how to say cat, kitten, and meow in different languages from around the world.

How to Say Cat, Kitten, and Meow in 19 Different Languages

#1 – Mandarin Chinese – 1,117 billion speakers

Cat: Māo(猫)

Kitten:  Xiǎo māo (小猫)

Meow: Miāo (喵)

 

#2 – Hindi – 615 million speakers

Cat: Billee (बिल्ली)

Kitten:  Billee ka bachcha (बिल्ली का बच्चा)

Meow: Miyaanu (मियांउ)

 

#3 – Spanish – 534 million speakers

Cat: Gato

Kitten:  Gatito

Meow: Maullar

#4 – French – 280 million speakers

Cat: Chat

Kitten:  Chaton

Meow: Miaou

 

#5 – Standard Arabic – 274 million speakers

Cat: Qat (قط)

Kitten: Qatah saghira ( قطه صغيرة)

Meow: Mua’ (مواء)

 

#6 – Bengali (Bangla) – 265 million speakers

Cat: Biṛāla (বিড়াল)

Kitten:  Biṛālachānā (বিড়ালছানা)

Meow: Mi’u (মিউ)

#7 – Russian – 258 million speakers

Cat: Kot (Кот)

Kitten:  Kotenok (котенок)

Meow: Myau  (мяу)

 

#8 – Portuguese – 234 million speakers

Cat: Gato

Kitten:  Gatinho

Meow: Miau

 

#9 – Indonesian – 199 million speakers

Cat: Kucing

Kitten:  Anak kucing

Meow: Meong

#10 – Urdu – 170 million speakers

Cat: Billi ( بلی)

Kitten:  Billi Ka Bacha (بلی کا بچہ)

Meow: Billi Ki Awaz (بلی کی آواز)

Want to know what your cat’s trying to tell you? Follow these 9 Rules Of Feline Speak and Learn To Communicate With Your Cat!

#11 – Standard German – 132 million speakers

Cat: Katze

Kitten:  Kätzchen

Meow: Miau

 

#12 – Japanese – 128 million speakers

Cat: Neko (ネコ)

Kitten:  Koneko (子猫)

Meow: Nyā (ニャー)

#13 – Swahili – 98 million speakers

Cat: Paka

Kitten:  Kipaka

Meow: Meow

 

#14 – Marathi – 95 million speakers

Cat: Mān̄jara (मांजर)

Kitten:  Mān̄jarīcē pillū (मांजरीचे पिल्लू)

Meow: Myā’ū (म्याऊ)

 

#15 – Telugu – 93 million speakers

Cat: Pilli (పిల్లి)

Kitten:  Pilli (పిల్లి)

Meow: Mi’av (మిఅవ్)

#16 – Western Punjabi – 93 million speakers

Cat: Bilī (ਬਿੱਲੀ)

Kitten:  Bilī dā bacā (ਬਿੱਲੀ ਦਾ ਬੱਚਾ)

Meow: Mī’āṁ (ਮੀਆਂ)

Is your cat chatting at you nonstop, but you’re not sure what she’s saying? Here are 9 Reasons Why Your Cat Keeps Meowing At You.

#17 – Wu Chinese – 82 million speakers

Cat: Māo(猫)

Kitten:  Xiǎo māo (小猫)

Meow: Miāo (喵)

 

#18 – Tamil – 81 million speakers

Cat: Pūṉai (பூனை)

Kitten: Pūṉaikkuṭṭi (பூனைக்குட்டி)

Meow: Miyāv (மியாவ்)

 

#19 – Turkish – 80 million

Cat: Kedi

Kitten: Kedi yavrusu

Meow: Miyav

Languages of Love

Want to tell your cat ‘I Love You’ in different languages, try it one of the three romance languages!

French – Je vous aime!

Italian – Ti amo!

Spanish – Te quiero!

How do cats communicate love? Here are 5 Ways Your Cat Says “I Love You.”

H/T: www.dailypaws.com

Recent Articles

Interested in learning even more about all things dogs? Get your paws on more great content from iHeartDogs!

Read the Blog