câine
/ˈkɨj.ne/
The Romanian word for dog is câine. Wiktionary also lists cîine and cățea.
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| câine | /ˈkɨj.ne/ | |
| cîine | ||
| cățea | [kəˈtse̯a] (narrow) | feminine |
The term is used to refer to the animal generally.
Which one should you use?
câine is the general term for a dog, whereas cățea is used specifically to refer to a female dog.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun câine has several forms. The plural is câini, and the genitive/dative plural form is câinilor. The feminine form is cățea. The word for puppy is cățel.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of câine is /ˈkɨj.ne/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- While câine is the standard word for dog, the term cățea can be a strong insult when used to describe a woman, similar to the English word 'bitch'.
- In Romanian, calling someone a câine is often used to describe a person who is treacherous, cruel or lacks honor.
- The Romanian word for dog, câine, shares its ancestry with the Latin 'canis', which is also the root of the English word 'canine'.
Examples in context
- Un câine a fugit.A dog ran away.This sentence shows how to use câine to describe an action.Tatoeba #8578067 by fathe, translation #5493702 by robmen
- Acela este un câine.That is a dog.This sentence uses câine to identify an object.Tatoeba #4468556 by Wenceslaus, translation #4538713 by mailohilohi
- Câinele meu a fugit.My dog ran away.This sentence shows the use of câine with a possessive pronoun.Tatoeba #8571460 by fathe, translation #2985583 by sharptoothed
- Aceasta este casa câinelui meuThis is my dog's house
- Am adoptat un cățel simpaticI adopted a cute puppy
- Am văzut un câine pe stradă.I saw a dog on the street.
- În această zonă se folosește 'căine' pentru a desemna un câine.In this area, 'căine' is used to refer to a dog.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Andrei and Andreea are walking in a park.
- AndreiUite, ce câine drăguț!Look, what a cute dog!
- AndreeaÎl pot mângâia?Can I pet it?
- AndreiDa, este un câine foarte blând.Yes, it is a very gentle dog.
- AndreeaÎmi place mult!I like it a lot!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dog” translations and entries câine, cățea, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries câine, cățea, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
