chat
/ʃa/masculine
The English word 'cat' is translated into French as chat. Wiktionary also lists chatte.
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| chat | /ʃa/ /tʃat/ |
masculine |
| chatte | /ʃat/ | feminine |
The terms for cat refer to the domestic species. There are several informal terms such as minet or matou that can be used to refer to a cat.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the gender of the animal: chat is used for a male cat or as the generic term for the species, while chatte is used specifically for a female cat.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The terms minet and matou are informal. You should be aware that while chatte is the feminine form of 'cat', it is also a common vulgar slang term for female genitalia.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word chat is a masculine noun. The word chatte is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃa/
Did you know?
- In French folklore, the expression avoir un chat dans la gorge is the equivalent of the English 'to have a frog in one's throat'.
- Because chatte is a common vulgarity, French speakers often avoid using the grammatically correct feminine word for a female cat and instead use chat for all cats regardless of gender.
- The Late Latin ancestor of both the English 'cat' and the French chat was cattus, which was originally a word for a wild cat or polecat.
Examples in context
- Il a un chat.He keeps a cat.This sentence shows how to use the masculine form chat.Tatoeba #4696185 by sacredceltic, translation #302300 by CK
- Je suis un chat.I'm a cat.This sentence uses the masculine form chat.Tatoeba #2068378 by Aiji, translation #2068371 by shekitten
- J’ai eu un chat.I had a cat.Tatoeba #2231134 by Amastan, translation #2399176 by amazighgirl
- J'ai vu un magnifique chat noir dans le jardin.I saw a beautiful black cat in the garden.
- Le minet est en train de dormir sur le canapé.The kitty is sleeping on the couch.
- Le matou t'attend à la maison.The kitty is waiting for you at home.
- 994 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are talking about a pet.
- LéaEst-ce que tu as un chat ?Do you have a cat?
- HugoOui, mon chat s'appelle Milo.Yes, my cat is called Milo.
- LéaC'est mignon, je veux voir ton chat !That's cute, I want to see your cat!
- HugoJe vais te montrer une photo.I will show you a photo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries chat, chatte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chat, chatte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
