kaķis
[ˈkacːis]masculine
The English word cat is kaķis in Latvian. Wiktionary also lists kaķene.
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latvian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| kaķis | [ˈkacːis] (narrow) | masculine |
| kaķene | [kacɛnɛ] (narrow) | feminine |
The word is used to refer to the domestic species of cat.
Which one should you use?
While kaķis is the general term for a male cat or the species, kaķene specifically refers to a female cat.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of kaķis is kaķi.
Did you know?
- Linguists believe that the root of kaķis may have originated from an Afroasiatic language before being borrowed into Proto-Indo-European.
Examples in context
- Šis ir Toma kaķis.This is Tom's cat.This sentence is useful for showing possession with kaķis.Tatoeba #6806097 by User77812, translation #3588378 by Ooneykcall
- Tavs kaķis ir melns.Your cat is black.This sentence is useful for describing the color of kaķis.Tatoeba #12944413 by GemMonkey, translation #3189153 by zumley
- Šajā istabā ir kaķis.There is a cat in this room.This sentence is useful for indicating the presence of kaķis in a location.Tatoeba #2928112 by GemMonkey, translation #2860374 by shekitten
- Es redzēju skaistu kaķi parkā.I saw a beautiful cat in the park.
- Mani vecāki ir nopirkuši jaunu kaķi.My parents have bought a new cat.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jānis and Laura are talking about a pet in the garden.
- JānisSkaties, tur ir mazs kaķis!Look, there is a small cat!
- LauraVai tas ir tavs kaķis, Jāni?Is that your cat, Jānis?
- JānisNē, es nespēju atpazīt šo kaķi.No, I cannot recognize this cat.
- LauraVarbūt tas ir kaimiņu kaķis.Maybe it is the neighbor's cat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries kaķis, kaķene, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kaķene, kaķis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
