macska
[ˈmɒt͡ʃkɒ]feminine, masculine
The English word "cat" is translated into Hungarian as macska. Wiktionary also lists kandúr.
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hungarian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| macska | [ˈmɒt͡ʃkɒ] (narrow) | feminine, masculine |
| kandúr | [ˈkɒnduːr] (narrow) | masculine |
The word macska refers to the domestic species of cat in a general sense.
Which one should you use?
While macska is the general term for a cat, kandúr is used specifically to refer to a male cat.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of macska is macskák.
Did you know?
- The word macska has Slavic roots, which is an interesting linguistic outlier since Hungarian is a Uralic language, unlike most of its neighbors.
- The term macska can be used in various compound words to describe people, such as macskaláb (cat's paw), referring to someone being used as a tool by another.
- While macska is the standard term, many Hungarians use the diminutive cica when speaking to or about a pet, much like saying 'kitty' in English.
Examples in context
- Hol van a macska?Where's the cat?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of the macska.Tatoeba #5531052 by mraz, translation #1664246 by Spamster
- Az a macska barna.That cat is brown.This sentence is useful for describing the color of the macska.Tatoeba #1592303 by Trillian, translation #982233 by Arraroak
- Mit akar a macska?What does the cat want?This sentence is useful for asking about the desires of the macska.Tatoeba #7852469 by jegaevi, translation #1797708 by Spamster
- Van egy szép macskám.I have a beautiful cat.
- Imádom a kis cicákat.I love little cats.
- Azt hiszem, a macskád nagyon cuki.I think your cat is very cute.
- 163 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anna and Zoltán are at home looking at a pet.
- AnnaNézd, milyen aranyos a macska!Look, how cute the cat is!
- ZoltánIgen, a macska nagyon nyugodt.Yes, the cat is very calm.
- AnnaZoltán, adunk neki tejet?Zoltán, shall we give it some milk?
- ZoltánNem, a macska nem szereti a tejet.No, the cat does not like milk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries macska, kandúr, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kandúr, macska, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
