miau
The Dutch word for meow is miau.
miau is used as an interjection to represent the sound a cat makes. If you want to refer to the sound itself as a noun, you use miauw or gemiauw.
Meaning: cry of a cat (intj)
Which one should you use?
While miau is the interjection used to represent the sound, miauw and gemiauw are the nouns used to name the cry of a cat.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of a cat making this sound, use the verb miauwen.
Did you know?
- In the Netherlands and Belgium, people sometimes use the word miauwen to describe someone who is complaining or whining in a childish manner.
- The word miauw appears in various Dutch children's rhymes where cats are personified, often serving as a rhythmic punctuation mark rather than a translation of speech.
- The word miauw is an example of an onomatopoeia that is remarkably similar across most Germanic languages, reflecting a shared phonetic interpretation of feline sounds.
Examples in context
- De kat zegt "miauw".The cat says "meow".This sentence shows how to use the form miau when describing what a cat says.Tatoeba #5340380 by Raizin, translation #2839724 by AlanF_US
- "Miauw," zei de kat en hij keek naar mij."Meow," said the cat, and it looked at me.This sentence shows the form miau used in a spoken context.Tatoeba #1478344 by Citrine, translation #1459981 by shekitten
- Miauw.Meow.This sentence provides a simple example of the form miau.Tatoeba #4073580 by PaulP, translation #2176411 by dafp
- Miauw! Wat ben je toch een schattige kat!Meow! You are such an adorable cat!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noah and Julia are looking at a cat in the garden.
- NoahKijk Julia, de kat komt naar ons toe.Look Julia, the cat is coming towards us.
- JuliaMiau! Wat wil je, kleine vriend?Meow! What do you want, little friend?
- NoahIk denk dat hij honger heeft.I think he is hungry.
- JuliaLaten we hem wat eten geven.Let's give him some food.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
