pusa
/ˈpusa/
The English word "cat" is pusa in Ilocano.
pusa refers to the domestic species.
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpusa/
Did you know?
- In some Philippine cultural beliefs, the arrival of a pusa in a home is seen as an omen that can either bring good luck or signal an upcoming misfortune depending on the cat's color.
- Although the Ilocano pusa and the Malayalam 'pūcca' sound almost identical, they are false cognates with no historical or linguistic link.
- The term pusa is used across several northern Philippine languages, reflecting a shared linguistic heritage in the region.
Examples in context
- Saan a tao ti pusa.A cat is not human.This sentence is useful for noting that a pusa is not a human.Tatoeba #4652273 by saluyot, translation #515178 by Swift
- Timmaray nga immadayo ti pusa.The cat ran away.This sentence is useful for describing a pusa running away.Tatoeba #4659017 by saluyot, translation #663719 by qdii
- No awan ti pusa, agay-ayam dagiti bao.When the cat is away, the mice will play.This sentence illustrates a proverb involving a pusa.Tatoeba #4674299 by saluyot, translation #20065 by CK
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rowena and Manuel are looking at a pet in the garden.
- RowenaNapintas dayta a pusa, Manuel.That cat is beautiful, Manuel.
- ManuelWen, ngem nasaluds isuna.Yes, but it is naughty.
- RowenaAy-ayatenyo kadi dayta a pusa?Do you love that cat?
- ManuelWen, ayatko unay isuna.Yes, I love it very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries pusa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pusa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
