paka
/ˈpɑ.kɑ/class 10, class 9
The Swahili word for cat is paka.
paka refers to the domestic species of cat.
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
paka belongs to the noun class 9/10 (N-class). Because of this, any adjectives or possessives that agree with paka will typically use the prefixes 'w-' or 'z-' or follow the standard patterns for the N-class.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. It is pronounced /ˈpɑ.kɑ/.
Did you know?
- In Swahili, the word paka is also the verb for 'to smear' or 'to spread' something, such as butter on bread.
- The word paka is inherited from the Proto-Bantu root *mpákà. This means the word is shared by many different languages across a vast stretch of Central and Southern Africa.
- While paka is the word for a domestic cat, the word for a lion is simba. In Swahili, these two animals are not linguistically grouped together under a single general term for 'feline'.
Examples in context
- Hii paka ni yangu.This is my cat.This sentence demonstrates the use of paka to show ownership.Tatoeba #4590274 by MrMbithi, translation #712344 by papabear
- Paka wako ni mweusi.Your cat is black.This sentence shows how to describe the color of a paka.Tatoeba #3207965 by ecorralest101, translation #3189153 by zumley
- Paka yetu ipo jikoni.Our cat is in the kitchen.This sentence shows how to indicate the location of a paka.Tatoeba #3653251 by ecorralest101, translation #65516 by CK
- Sijawahi kuona paka mweusi kama huyu.I have never seen a black cat like this one.
- Tafadhali nipe maji ya kunywa, paka wangu ana kiu.Please give me some water to drink, my cat is thirsty.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Fatuma and Bakari are talking about a pet in the garden.
- FatumaJe, umeona paka yangu leo?Have you seen my cat today?
- BakariHapana, sijamwona paka yeyote.No, I haven't seen any cat.
- FatumaPaka anapenda kujificha hapa.The cat likes to hide here.
- BakariLabda paka amelala ndani.Maybe the cat is sleeping inside.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries paka, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries paka, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
