gato lindo
/ɡato lindo/from spelling rules
To say "cute cat" in Spanish, say gato lindo.
Use gato lindo to describe a cat that is sweet or endearing. The adjective comes after the noun.
Which one should you use?
Gato/a mono/a and Gato/a precioso/a are typical of Peninsular Spanish. In Latin American Spanish you will hear Gato/a lindo/a, Gato/a tierno/a and Gato/a hermoso/a. For a cute kitten, people often say gatito lindo.
Is it said differently in some regions?
lindo and tierno are common in Latin America, while mono and precioso are common in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
gato is a male cat and gata is a female cat. For a female cat, both words change, giving gata linda. In the plural both take an s, giving gatos lindos. Adding the diminutive ending to gato gives gatito lindo, which sounds more affectionate or refers to a kitten.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /ɡato lindo/.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word gato is a homonym that also means 'car jack' when referring to the tool used to lift a vehicle.
- The word lindo likely evolved from the Latin word 'legitimus', meaning 'lawful' or 'proper'. Over time, its meaning shifted from 'legitimate' to 'pure' and finally to 'cute'.
- While lindo means 'cute', using the word tierno to describe a cat specifically evokes a sense of 'tenderness' or physical softness.
Examples in context
- ¡Qué gato tan lindo!What a cute cat!
- Ese es un gato lindo.That is a cute cat.
- Vi un gato lindo en la calle.I saw a cute cat in the street.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are looking at a photo on a phone.
- AlejandroMira este gato lindo.Look at this cute cat.
- María¡Es muy lindo, Alejandro!It is very cute, Alejandro!
- Alejandro¿Quieres un gato lindo como este?Do you want a cute cat like this one?
- MaríaSí, me encantaría.Yes, I would love to.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gato, lindo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
