cat
/kɑt̪ˠ/masculine
cat is the Irish word for cat.
The word refers to the domestic species.
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word cat is a masculine noun. The plural form of cat is cat.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɑt̪ˠ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the article 'an' before 'cat' instead of the correct definite article an cat.
Did you know?
- In Irish folklore, the cat sí is a fairy creature and a spectral cat that can speak human language.
- The Old Irish word catt evolved from Proto-Celtic *kattos, which may have been borrowed from Late Latin cattus or Proto-Germanic *kattuz.
- When talking about the mythological cat sí, the word sí refers to the 'Sídhe', the people of the mounds or fairies, rather than a type of cat.
Examples in context
- Tá cat bán agam.I have a white cat.This sentence is useful for describing the color of the cat you possess.Tatoeba #3599711 by JimiYoru, translation #1523604 by CK
- Tá cat ag Millie.Millie has a cat.This sentence shows how to say a specific person has a cat.Tatoeba #3899587 by turklehceleri, translation #3173670 by shekitten
- Ní raibh cat acu.They didn't have a cat.This sentence demonstrates a negative past tense statement regarding owning a cat.Tatoeba #11483312 by janTuki, translation #11483051 by janTuki
- Tá cat sa teach.There is a cat in the house.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Oisín and Saoirse are talking about pets in a living room.
- OisínAn bhfuil cat agat, Saoirse?Do you have a cat, Saoirse?
- SaoirseNíl, ach tá madra agam.No, but I have a dog.
- OisínTá madra mhaith agat.You have a good dog.
- SaoirseGo raibh maith agat, Oisín.Thank you, Oisín.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries cat, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cat, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
