Cats are loved everywhere — from busy cities to quiet villages. But while the animal is the same, the word for “cat” changes across cultures and languages. This guide shows you how to say “cat” in different languages, with native spelling and easy pronunciation, all in one place.
Below you’ll find a clean, mobile-friendly table with cat translations around the world. This is perfect if you’re learning languages, writing, traveling, or just curious about how “cat” sounds globally.
Cat in Other Languages (100 Translations)
| Language / Flag | Native word | Pronunciation |
| English 🇬🇧 | Cat | kat |
| Spanish 🇪🇸 | Gato | gah-to |
| French 🇫🇷 | Chat | shah |
| German 🇩🇪 | Katze | kaht-suh |
| Italian 🇮🇹 | Gatto | gaht-to |
| Portuguese 🇵🇹 | Gato | gah-too |
| Russian 🇷🇺 | Кот | kot |
| Ukrainian 🇺🇦 | Кіт | keet |
| Polish 🇵🇱 | Kot | kot |
| Czech 🇨🇿 | Kočka | koch-ka |
| Slovak 🇸🇰 | Mačka | mach-ka |
| Dutch 🇳🇱 | Kat | kat |
| Swedish 🇸🇪 | Katt | kaht |
| Norwegian 🇳🇴 | Katt | kaht |
| Danish 🇩🇰 | Kat | kat |
| Finnish 🇫🇮 | Kissa | kis-sa |
| Estonian 🇪🇪 | Kass | kas |
| Icelandic 🇮🇸 | Köttur | kuh-tur |
| Irish 🇮🇪 | Cat | kat |
| Welsh 🏴 | Cath | kath |
| Greek 🇬🇷 | Γάτα | gah-ta |
| Turkish 🇹🇷 | Kedi | keh-dee |
| Arabic 🇸🇦 | قط | qitt |
| Hebrew 🇮🇱 | חתול | kha-tool |
| Persian 🇮🇷 | گربه | gor-beh |
| Urdu 🇵🇰 | بلی | bil-lee |
| Hindi 🇮🇳 | बिल्ली | bil-lee |
| Bengali 🇧🇩 | বিড়াল | bi-ral |
| Tamil 🇮🇳 | பூனை | poo-nai |
| Telugu 🇮🇳 | పిల్లి | pil-lee |
| Marathi 🇮🇳 | मांजर | maan-jar |
| Gujarati 🇮🇳 | બિલાડી | bi-laa-di |
| Punjabi 🇮🇳 | ਬਿੱਲੀ | bil-lee |
| Nepali 🇳🇵 | बिरालो | bi-raa-lo |
| Sinhala 🇱🇰 | බළලා | ba-la-la |
| Thai 🇹🇭 | แมว | meow |
| Vietnamese 🇻🇳 | Mèo | meh-o |
| Indonesian 🇮🇩 | Kucing | koo-ching |
| Malay 🇲🇾 | Kucing | koo-ching |
| Filipino 🇵🇭 | Pusa | poo-sa |
| Japanese 🇯🇵 | 猫 | ne-ko |
| Korean 🇰🇷 | 고양이 | go-yang-ee |
| Chinese 🇨🇳 | 猫 | mao |
| Mongolian 🇲🇳 | Муур | moor |
| Kazakh 🇰🇿 | Мысық | muh-sik |
| Uzbek 🇺🇿 | Mushuk | moo-shook |
| Georgian 🇬🇪 | კატა | ka-ta |
| Armenian 🇦🇲 | Կատու | ka-too |
| Romanian 🇷🇴 | Pisică | pee-si-kuh |
| Bulgarian 🇧🇬 | Котка | kot-ka |
| Serbian 🇷🇸 | Мачка | mach-ka |
| Croatian 🇭🇷 | Mačka | mach-ka |
| Slovenian 🇸🇮 | Mačka | mach-ka |
| Hungarian 🇭🇺 | Macska | motch-ka |
| Lithuanian 🇱🇹 | Katė | ka-teh |
| Latvian 🇱🇻 | Kaķis | ka-chis |
| Basque 🏳️ | Katu | ka-too |
| Catalan 🏳️ | Gat | gat |
| Galician 🏳️ | Gato | gah-to |
| Swahili 🇰🇪 | Paka | pah-ka |
| Zulu 🇿🇦 | Ikati | ee-ka-tee |
| Xhosa 🇿🇦 | Ikati | ee-ka-tee |
| Afrikaans 🇿🇦 | Kat | kat |
| Hausa 🇳🇬 | Mage | mah-geh |
| Yoruba 🇳🇬 | Ologbo | o-log-bo |
| Igbo 🇳🇬 | Pusi | poo-see |
| Amharic 🇪🇹 | ድመት | di-met |
| Somali 🇸🇴 | Bisad | bee-sad |
| Malagasy 🇲🇬 | Saka | sah-ka |
| Maori 🇳🇿 | Ngeru | nge-roo |
| Samoan 🇼🇸 | Pusi | poo-see |
| Hawaiian 🇺🇸 | Pōpoki | po-po-kee |
| Tahitian 🇵🇫 | Poti | po-tee |
| Inuktitut 🇨🇦 | ᐱᓯ | pee-see |
| Greenlandic 🇬🇱 | Qimmeq | kim-mek |
| Aymara 🇧🇴 | Phisi | fee-see |
| Quechua 🇵🇪 | Misi | mee-see |
| Nahuatl 🇲🇽 | Miztli | meez-tlee |
| Navajo 🇺🇸 | Mósí | mo-see |
| Cherokee 🇺🇸 | ᏪᏌ | weh-sa |
| Tatar 🇷🇺 | Мәче | meh-che |
| Bashkir 🇷🇺 | Бесәй | beh-sai |
| Uighur 🇨🇳 | Mushuk | moo-shook |
Cat in All Languages — Why Words Differ
The word for cat changes based on sound systems, history, and culture. Some languages borrow from Latin “cattus,” while others use local roots or onomatopoeia.
How to Say Cat in Different Languages
Use this list to:
- Learn vocabulary faster
- Improve pronunciation
- Add global flavor to writing
- Explore linguistic diversity
This makes it easy to see cat in all languages side-by-side.
Cat Translations and Cultural Notes
In some cultures, the word for cat also carries emotional meaning, humor, or symbolism. In Japanese, “neko” is often associated with cuteness. In Arabic, “qitt” is used in both formal and casual speech.
Conclusion
“Cat” may be a simple word, but it reflects incredible cultural and linguistic diversity. Now you know how to say cat around the world — from “neko” to “pusa” to “mèo.”
FAQs
What is “cat” in most languages?
Many languages use a form similar to “cat,” “kat,” or “gato,” derived from Latin roots.
What is the Japanese word for cat?
The Japanese word for cat is 猫 (neko).
How do you say cat in Arabic?
Cat in Arabic is قط (qitt).
Why do some languages have very different words for cat?
Because languages evolve independently and use different sounds, histories, and influences.Is this list accurate for daily usage?
Yes, all words shown are standard everyday terms.
