बिल्ली
billī/bɪl.liː/feminine
The Hindi word for cat is बिल्ली (billī). Wiktionary also lists बिल्ला (billā).
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| बिल्ली | billī | /bɪl.liː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| बिल्ला | billā | /bɪl.lɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
The word refers to the domestic species of cat.
Which one should you use?
बिल्ली (billī) is used when referring to a female cat or when the gender of the cat is unknown. In contrast, बिल्ला (billā) is used specifically to refer to a male cat.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form बिल्ला is used specifically to refer to a male cat, while the feminine form बिल्ली is used for a female cat or as the generic term for the species.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bɪl.liː/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The Hindi word बिल्ली actually originates from a Dravidian language rather than from the Indo-European family that dominates most of Hindi's vocabulary.
- The phrase बिल्ली के गले में घंटी ('a bell around the cat's neck') is a common Hindi idiom used to describe a task that is necessary but too dangerous to attempt.
- The word बिल्ला (billā) is not just used for male cats, but in colloquial Hindi, it can also refer to a 'badge' or 'emblem' worn on a uniform.
Examples in context
- मेरी बिल्ली पूरे दिन सोती हैMy cat sleeps all dayThis sentence shows how to use बिल्ली to describe a cat's behavior.
- वह बिल्ली है क्या?Is that a cat?This sentence is useful for asking if an object is a बिल्ली.Tatoeba #611430 by minshirui, translation #67092 by CK
- वहाँ एक बिल्ली है।There's a cat there.This sentence is useful for pointing out the location of a बिल्ली.Tatoeba #3620621 by sabretou, translation #2429426 by CM
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Aditya and Neha are looking at a stray cat in a garden.
- आदित्य Adityaदेखो, वह एक सफेद बिल्ली है।Dekho, vah ek safed billi hai.Look, that is a white cat.
- नेहा Nehaहाँ, वह बहुत प्यारी बिल्ली है।Haan, vah bahut pyaari billi hai.Yes, she is a very cute cat.
- आदित्य Adityaक्या वह बिल्ली भूखी है?Kya vah billi bhookhi hai?Is the cat hungry?
- नेहा Nehaशायद, हमें उसे कुछ देना चाहिए।Shayad, humein use kuchh dena chahiye.Maybe, we should give her something.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries बिल्ली, बिल्ला, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries बिल्ला, बिल्ली, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
