gattino
/ɡatˈti.no/
The English phrase "little cat" is gattino in Italian.
Gattino is the generic term for a young cat, also known as a kitten.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed by the root gatto (cat) and the diminutive suffix -ino (little).
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine gattino changes to the feminine gattina if the kitten is female. The plural form of the masculine gattino is gattini. The plural form of the feminine gattina is gattine.
How do you pronounce it?
Gattino is pronounced /ɡatˈti.no/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- While gattino means kitten, the Italian phrase fare il gattino means to act meek or pretend to be innocent to get your way.
- The word gatto is used in the term gatto idraulico, which refers to a car jack, despite having nothing to do with kittens or animals.
- In Italy, calling a person a gattino or gattina can be a term of endearment, similar to calling someone 'sweetie' or 'honey'.
Examples in context
- Ho adottato un gattino ieri.I adopted a little cat yesterday.
- Il mio micino fa le fusa quando lo coccolo.My little cat purrs when I cuddle him.
- Il gattino è molto dolce.The kitten is very sweet.
- Abbiamo comprato un gattino nero.We bought a black kitten.
- Guarda quel piccolo gattino!Look at that little kitten!
Example conversation
Chiara and Lorenzo are at an animal shelter.
- ChiaraLorenzo, guarda questo gattino!Lorenzo, look at this kitten!
- LorenzoÈ davvero molto piccolo.It is really very small.
- ChiaraÈ il gattino più dolce di tutti.It is the sweetest kitten of all.
- LorenzoPrendiamolo a casa oggi.Let's take it home today.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gattino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
