بِلّی
billīfeminine
The Urdu word for cat is بِلّی (billī). Wiktionary also lists بِلَّا (billā).
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بِلّی | billī | feminine |
| بِلَّا | billā | masculine |
The term refers to the domestic species of cat.
Which one should you use?
Use بِلّی when referring to a female cat or when the gender of the cat is unspecified. Use بِلَّا specifically when referring to a male cat.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form بِلّی is feminine. The form بِلَّا is masculine and is used to refer to a male cat.
How do you pronounce it?
billī
Did you know?
- While بِلّی is the standard word, a common Urdu slang or affectionate way to refer to a cat is by using the word مانو (mano).
- The word بِلّی is used in a popular Urdu idiom بِلّی کے گلے میں گھنٹی, which means 'to bell the cat'. This phrase describes taking a dangerous risk for a goal that others are too afraid to attempt.
- If you are talking about a kitten, you would use the word بِلّی کا بچہ (billī kā bachā), which literally translates to 'child of a cat'.
Examples in context
- میں نے ایک بلی دیکھی ہے۔I have seen a cat.
- یہ بِلّی بہت پیاری ہے۔yeh billi bahut pyaari hai.This cat is very cute.
- میری بِلّی سو رہی ہے۔meri billi so rahi hai.My cat is sleeping.
- کیا آپ کے پاس بِلّی ہے؟kya aap ke paas billi hai?Do you have a cat?
Example conversation
Ahmed and Aisha are talking about pets at home.
- احمد Ahmedعائشہ، کیا تمہاری بِلّی یہاں ہے؟Aisha, kya tumhari billi yahan hai?Aisha, is your cat here?
- عائشہ Ayeshaنہیں احمد، وہ باہر ہے۔nahi Ahmed, woh bahar hai.No Ahmed, she is outside.
- احمد Ahmedوہ کہاں گئی؟woh kahan gayi?Where did she go?
- عائشہ Ayeshaشاید وہ باغ میں ہے۔shayad woh baagh mein hai.Maybe she is in the garden.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
