kedi
/ceˈdi/
The Turkish word for cat is kedi. Wiktionary also lists enik and göcen.
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| kedi | /ceˈdi/ |
| enik | /enic/ (from spelling rules) |
| göcen | /ɟød͡ʒen/ (from spelling rules) |
| bissiru | /bissiɾu/ (from spelling rules) |
| sarman | /saɾman/ (from spelling rules) |
The general term for the domestic species is kedi. You can also use the specific term sarman when referring specifically to a ginger or orange tabby cat.
Which one should you use?
The terms enik, göcen and bissiru also refer to cats.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the word plural, use kediler to say cats.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ceˈdi/. The sound /c/ is like the sk in skew, and the sound /i/ is like the ee in creek.
Did you know?
- The word kedi is not native to the Turkic language family. It was borrowed from Byzantine Greek, which had previously taken it from the Latin word 'cattus'.
- In Turkey, cats are often treated as communal pets. It is common for entire neighborhoods to feed and care for local kediler that do not belong to a single household.
- While kedi is the standard word, the term pisi was once the primary way to refer to cats in Turkish. Today, calling a cat pisi sounds like baby talk or is used as a way to call a cat toward you, similar to saying 'kitty kitty' in English.
Examples in context
- O bir kedi mi?Is that a cat?This sentence is useful for asking if an animal is a kedi.Tatoeba #1251338 by duran, translation #67092 by CK
- O kedi gri mi?Is that cat grey?This sentence is useful for asking about the color of a kedi.Tatoeba #5273190 by deyta, translation #5272667 by kemushi69
- Bu bir kedi mi?Is this a cat?This sentence is useful for identifying if this specific animal is a kedi.Tatoeba #8339685 by soliloquist, translation #5228518 by solejar
- 1121 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emre and Selin are sitting in a cafe near a park.
- EmreBak, orada çok tatlı bir kedi var!Look, there is a very cute cat there!
- SelinEvet, bu kedi çok küçük görünüyor.Yes, this cat looks very small.
- EmreOnu beslemek ister misin?Do you want to feed it?
- SelinHayır, o kedi çok ürkek duruyor.No, that cat looks very timid.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries kedi, enik, sarman, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries enik, kedi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
