猫
māo
The English phrase "cats" is translated into Chinese as 猫 (māo).
猫 is used to refer to small domesticated carnivorous mammals with soft fur and retractable claws.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese-speaking regions, the word for cats is 貓.
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask "how many cats", you should use the structure 几 + classifier + 猫.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is māo.
Did you know?
- While English speakers say 'cat lover', a Chinese speaker might use the term 猫奴, which literally translates to 'cat slave' to describe a devoted pet owner.
- Chinese has a specific term 猫腻 which uses the word for 'cat' to describe a hidden trick or a suspicious secret.
- The character 猫 uses the radical for 'dog', which is 犬. While it might seem strange to use a canine component for a feline, this is a common way in ancient Chinese to categorize various small animals.
Examples in context
- 您有几只猫？How many cats do you have?This sentence is useful for asking how many cats someone has.Tatoeba #4264866 by notabene, translation #4129982 by allasobirova
- 我有两只猫。I have two cats.This sentence is useful for stating the number of cats you own.Tatoeba #4878929 by musclegirlxyp, translation #2412739 by fjrjdk
- 猫不吃香蕉。Cats don't eat bananas.This sentence is useful for describing what cats do or do not eat.Tatoeba #7768336 by jiangche, translation #1254113 by Tlustulimu
- 猫很可爱。Cats are very cute.
- 我喜欢小猫。I like kittens.
- 我養咗隻貓。I have a cat.
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a friend's house, looking at a pet.
- 佳怡 Jiayi这只猫的名字是什么？Zhè zhī māo de míngzì shì shénme?What is this cat's name?
- 志强 Zhiqiang它叫小黑。Tā jiào Xiǎo Hēi.His name is Xiao Hei.
- 佳怡 Jiayi志强，你养猫吗？Zhìqiáng, nǐ yǎng māo ma?Zhiqiang, do you keep cats?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我不养猫，但我很喜欢。Wǒ bù yǎng māo, dàn wǒ hěn xǐhuān.I don't keep cats, but I like them very much.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 猫, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
