Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| gato | /ˈɡa.tu/ (Brazil) /ˈɡa.tu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| gata | /ˈɡa.tɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈɡa.tɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
| gato-doméstico | /ˌɡa.tu.doˈmɛs.t͡ʃi.ku/ (Brazil) /ˌɡa.tu.doˈmɛʃ.t͡ʃi.ku/ (Rio de Janeiro) |
masculine |
| bichano | /biˈʃɐ̃.nu/ (Brazil) /biˈʃɐ.nu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
The primary meaning of gato is the domestic species. In many Portuguese-speaking contexts, however, gato is also used as slang to describe a physically attractive man. Related terms for cat owners include ração for cat food, areia de gato for cat litter, arranhar for to scratch and ronronar for to purr. Additionally, the verb vomitar means to vomit.
Which one should you use?
gato is the masculine form, while gata is the feminine form used to refer specifically to a female cat. The term gato-doméstico specifically denotes the domestic species. bichano is another masculine term used for a cat.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine gato can be pluralized to gatos to refer to multiple male cats or a mixed group of male and female cats. The feminine form gata becomes gatas when referring to a group consisting only of female cats.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈɡa.tu/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
When do people say it?
A common Portuguese expression is Gato escaldado tem medo de água fria, which is the equivalent of the English proverb 'Once bitten, twice shy.'
Did you know?
- In Brazil, a gato is a slang term for an illegal connection to an electrical grid or phone line to steal service.
- The term gato can also refer to a 'clandestine' or 'fake' document in certain Brazilian bureaucratic slang.
- The Portuguese word gato shares a common root with the English 'cat', both descending from Late Latin cattum.
Examples in context
- Eu vi o gato.I saw the cat.This sentence shows the use of the masculine form gato.Tatoeba #5874726 by ianna, translation #5840359 by CK
- É só um gato.It's just a cat.Tatoeba #5957367 by bill, translation #2953103 by CK
- É o meu gato.It is my cat.Tatoeba #7201220 by Ricardo14, translation #1105935 by CC
- Eu vi um gato preto no jardimI saw a black cat in the garden
- Maria tem um gato muito bonitoMaria has a very beautiful cat
- O veterinário examinou a saúde do gatoThe veterinarian examined the cat's health
- 690 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At home, Gabriel and Juliana are looking at a pet.
- GabrielEsse gato é muito fofo.This cat is very cute.
- JulianaSim, o gato é muito calmo.Yes, the cat is very calm.
- GabrielVocê quer alimentar o gato?Do you want to feed the cat?
- JulianaEu vou cuidar do gato agora.I will take care of the cat now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries gato, gata, gato-doméstico, bichano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bichano, gata, gato, gato-doméstico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
