pisicuță
/ˌpi.siˈku.t͡sə/
In Romanian, the word for kitty is pisicuță.
While it literally translates to 'little cat', pisicuță is the standard way to refer to a pet cat affectionately, regardless of the animal's actual age.
Meaning: pet name for a cat of any age (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a diminutive of pisică (cat), formed by adding the suffix -uță to create the meaning 'little cat'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of pisicuță is pisicuțe. For the genitive or dative singular, use pisicuței (e.g., 'of the kitty').
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌpi.siˈku.tsə/. There are 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- To call a cat in Romania, people do not usually say pisicuță but instead make a clicking sound with the tongue or say pisi-pisi.
- Romanian uses diminutives like pisicuță not just for animals, but frequently for people to express deep tenderness, which is far more common than in English.
- While pisicuță is the sweet name for a pet, Romanians often use the word pisoi specifically for a male kitten, which is a distinct noun rather than just a diminutive.
Examples in context
- Ești o pisicuță atât de cuminte!You're such a good kitty!This sentence demonstrates how to use pisicuță when praising a pet's behavior.Tatoeba #13632965 by Ioana_Dobre, translation #13630574 by rul
- Domnul Smith a adoptat o pisică adorabilă.Mr. Smith adopted an adorable kitty.
- Uite ce mâţă drăgălaşă am văzut în parc!Look at the cute kitty I saw in the park!
- O pisicuță mică a venit la noi.A little kitty came to us.
- Avem o pisicuță foarte jucăușă acasă.We have a very playful kitty at home.
Example conversation
Ioana and Alexandru are looking at a stray cat in the garden.
- IoanaUită-te, ce drăguță pisicuță!Look, what a cute kitty!
- AlexandruDa, pare foarte flămândă.Yes, she seems very hungry.
- IoanaVrei să îi aducem niște lapte?Do you want to bring her some milk?
- AlexandruE o idee bună, Ioana.That is a good idea, Ioana.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pisicuță, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
