cat
everyday
In Irish a cat is cat, spelled just like the English word. The plural is cait, and a kitten is puisín.
Meaning: the small pet animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | Note |
|---|---|
| cat | everyday |
| cait | plural |
| puisín | kitten |
How does it change in a sentence?
Cat is a masculine noun, so "the cat" is an cat. After mo (my) the first sound softens: mo chat, "my cat".
How do you pronounce it?
The vowel is closer to the "o" in "cot" than to the "a" in "cat", so cat sounds roughly like "kot".
Did you know?
- The change from cat to chat after mo is called lenition, and it happens to most Irish nouns after "my", "your" and "his".
Examples in context
- Tá cat agam.I have a cat.
- Tá na cait ag codladh.The cats are sleeping.
- Cá bhfuil mo chat?Where is my cat?
Example conversation
Aoife asks her neighbour Seán about the animal in his garden in Galway.
- AoifeAn leatsa an cat sin?Is that cat yours?
- SeánIs liom. Tomás an t-ainm atá air.It is. His name is Tomás.
- AoifeTá sé go hálainn.He is lovely.
