chat
Louisiana, standard
In Cajun French a cat is a chat, the same word as in standard French. A female cat is a chatte and several cats are des chats.
Meaning: domestic cat (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| chat | Louisiana, standard |
| chatte | female cat |
Use un chat for a cat in general and une chatte when you want to stress that it is a female.
How do you pronounce it?
The word sounds close to "sha", with the ch as in English "shop".
When do people say it?
Cajun French is still the language of many family stories in Louisiana, and everyday animal words like chat are the ones children learn first at home.
Did you know?
- The word "Cajun" is a shortened form of "Acadian", the name of the French settlers who were forced out of Acadia in the 1750s and 1760s and later settled in Louisiana.
Examples in context
- Le chat dort sur la galerie.The cat is sleeping on the porch.
- Mon chat mange trop.My cat eats too much.
- Où est la chatte?Where is the female cat?
Example conversation
Chloé and her grandfather Émile sit on the porch of his house near Lafayette.
- ChloéPépère, où est le chat?Grandpa, where is the cat?
- ÉmileIl dort sous la maison.He is sleeping under the house.
- ChloéIl est gros, ton chat.He is big, your cat.
