Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| قطة | qaṭṭa | /qitˤ.tˤa/ | Moroccan Arabic, feminine |
| قِطّ | qiṭṭ | masculine | |
| قِطَّة | qiṭṭa | feminine | |
| هِرّ | hirr | masculine | |
| هِرَّة | hirra | feminine | |
| سَنُّور | sannūr | masculine | |
| قطّ | ʔoṭṭ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine | |
| قطّة | ʔóṭṭa | Egyptian Arabic, feminine | |
| قَطو | gaṭu | Gulf Arabic, masculine | |
| قَطْوَة | gaṭwa | Gulf Arabic, feminine | |
| بسة | bissa | Hijazi Arabic, feminine | |
| عُرِّي | ʕurri | Hijazi Arabic, masculine | |
| مُش | mušš | Moroccan Arabic | |
| مُشة | mušša | Moroccan Arabic, feminine | |
| قط | qaṭṭ | Moroccan Arabic, feminine | |
| بْسَيْن | bsayn | North Levantine Arabic, masculine | |
| بْسَيْنة | bsayna | North Levantine Arabic, feminine |
The word refers to the domestic species of cat.
Which one should you use?
The terms قِطّ (masculine) and قِطَّة (feminine) are the standard Modern Standard Arabic terms, whereas the other forms in the list are regional dialects.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may use the masculine قطّ or the feminine قطّة, which are pronounced with a glottal stop instead of the 'q' sound. In Gulf Arabic, the masculine قَطو and feminine قَطْوَة are used. Moroccan Arabic features several forms including the masculine مُش, the feminine مُشة, the feminine قط and the feminine قطة. In North Levantine Arabic, you will hear the masculine بْسَيْن and the feminine بْسَيْنة. Other forms include the masculine هِرّ and سَنُّور, or the feminine هِرَّة.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form قِطَّة is often used to refer to a female cat or can be used generally for the species in many contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
qaṭṭa (/qitˤ.tˤa/)
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, cats are highly revered and welcomed in mosques because they are considered ritually clean animals.
- The word هِرَّة (hirra) sounds quite prestigious to an Arabic speaker. Because it appears so frequently in classical poetry, using it today can make you sound like you are reciting ancient literature rather than chatting about a pet.
- Certain dialects use بسة as a term of endearment for children, treating the word for 'cat' as a metaphor for something small and cute.
Examples in context
- لدي كلب و قطة.I have a dog and a cat.This sentence is useful for practicing the word قط.Tatoeba #442999 by saeb, translation #441581 by CK
- أعد لي قطي الآن.Now give me back my cat.Tatoeba #11976230 by dididodo, translation #10918842 by Amastan
- أي هذه القطط قطك؟Which cat is yours?Tatoeba #1578526 by Amastan, translation #1572896 by fanty
- القِطّة نائِمَةٌ عَلى الكَنَبThe cat is sleeping on the couch.
- لدي قِطّة سَودَاء وَبَيضاءI have a black and white cat.
- البِنت الصَّغيرة بَتِحِب تِلْعَب مَع بِسُوهاThe little girl loves playing with her cat.
- 55 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A living room where two friends are looking at a pet.
- أحمد Ahmedواش هاد قطة ديالك؟wash had qitta dyalk?Is this cat yours?
- ليلى Laylaآه، هادي هي قطة ديالي.ah, hadi hiya qitta dyali.Yes, this is my cat.
- أحمد Ahmedهي قطة زوينة بزاف.hiya qitta zwina bzaf.She is a very beautiful cat.
- ليلى Laylaشكرا، هي كتحمق.shukran, hiya kat-hamaq.Thanks, she is lovely.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries قطة, قط, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
