吉娃娃
jíwáwá
The English word chihuahua is translated into Chinese as 吉娃娃 (jíwáwá).
吉娃娃 is used to refer to the breed of dog. To refer more specifically to a Chihuahua dog, you may use the informal term 吉娃娃狗.
Meaning: breed of dog (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 吉娃娃 refers to the dog breed, the form 奇瓦瓦 is used when referring to the name of the capital city or the state of Chihuahua.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
jíwáwá
Did you know?
- In Chinese internet slang, 吉娃娃 is occasionally used to describe someone who is small and feisty, mirroring the stereotype of the dog breed.
- While 吉娃娃 sounds like the dog, the term 娃娃 on its own means 'baby' or 'doll' in Chinese.
- The character 吉 is frequently used in Chinese New Year greetings and festive decorations because it carries a wish for good fortune.
Examples in context
- 我的朋友有一只吉娃娃狗。My friend has a Chihuahua dog.
- 那只吉娃娃很可爱。Nà zhī Jíwáwá hěn kě'ài.That chihuahua is very cute.
- 我想要养一只吉娃娃。Wǒ xiǎng yào yǎng yì zhī Jíwáwá.I want to raise a chihuahua.
- 这只吉娃娃非常胆小。Zhè zhī Jíwáwá fēicháng dǎnxiǎo.This chihuahua is very timid.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about pets in a park.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，你看那只吉娃娃！Hàorán, nǐ kàn nà zhī Jíwáwá!Haoran, look at that chihuahua!
- 浩然 Haoran它真的很小一只。Tā zhēn de hěn xiǎo yì zhǐ.It is really tiny.
- 梓涵 Zihan我想买一只吉娃娃。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì zhī Jíwáwá.I want to buy a chihuahua.
- 浩然 Haoran你会照顾好它的。Nǐ huì zhàogù hǎo tā de.You will take good care of it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chihuahua” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
