gatito
/ɡaˈtito/
In Spanish, the English phrase "kitty" is translated as gatito.
The word is a pet name used for a cat of any age. You might also hear the term Michi, which is an informal, sweet and affectionate way to refer to a kitty.
Meaning: pet name for a cat of any age (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes based on gender and number. If you know the cat is female, use the feminine form gatita. For multiple kitties, use gatitos for a group of males or a mixed group of males and females and use gatitas if the group consists only of female kitties.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡaˈtito/
Did you know?
- The word gato itself is used in many Spanish-speaking countries to refer to a car jack, showing how the base word has very different meanings outside of animals.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the sound used to call a kitty is not 'pspsps' as in English, but rather a clicking sound made with the tongue against the roof of the mouth.
- The word Michi is believed by some linguists to be an onomatopoeia based on the sound people make to call cats in various languages.
Examples in context
- ¡Ese gatito es monísimo!That kitty is so cute!This sentence shows how to use gatito to describe a cute cat.Tatoeba #13697062 by Seael, translation #5368917 by Hybrid
- ¡Buen gatito!Good kitty!This sentence shows how to use gatito to praise a cat.Tatoeba #11067655 by Masatami, translation #9314354 by shekitten
- Mi gatito fue atropellado.My kitty was run over.This sentence shows how to use gatito when referring to a pet.Tatoeba #1056295 by alexmarcelo, translation #1359311 by marcelostockle
- El gatito es tan lindo.The male kitten is so cute.
- La gatita juguetea en el jardín.The female kitten plays in the garden.
- ¡Mira qué adorable es el michi!Look at how adorable this kitty is!
- María tiene un michi muy juguetón.María has a very playful kitty.
- La minina de mi vecino es muy cariñosa.My neighbor's female kitty is very affectionate.
- ¡Qué ojos más bonitos tiene el gatete!What beautiful eyes this kitty has!
- La gatita está durmiendo en su cama.The kitty is sleeping in her bed.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are visiting a friend's house.
- Mateo¿Viste al gatito de tu amiga?Did you see your friend's kitty?
- MaríaSí, el gatito es muy lindo.Yes, the kitty is very cute.
- MateoMaría, el gatito viene hacia nosotros.Maria, the kitty is coming towards us.
- María¡Qué tierno es este gatito!This kitty is so sweet!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gatito, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
