miau
/mi̯aʊ̯/
The German word for the English phrase "meow" is miau. If unsure, use miau. Wiktionary also lists maunz and Miauen.
Meaning: cry of a cat (intj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| miau | /mi̯aʊ̯/ | |
| maunz | /maʊ̯nts/ | |
| Miau | /mi̯aʊ̯/ | neuter |
| Miauen | /ˈmi̯aʊ̯ən/ | neuter |
| Maunzen | /ˈmaʊ̯ntsən/ | neuter |
| Gemaunze | neuter |
This term refers to the cry of a cat. It can be used as an interjection to represent the sound itself, as a noun to name the sound or as a verb to describe the action of a cat making that sound.
Which one should you use?
While Miau refers to the actual sound a cat makes, Gemaunze is often used figuratively to describe human whining or complaining. In terms of verbs, you can use miauen or maunzen to describe a cat meowing.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb miauen is a weak verb, which means its simple past tense form is miaute. The words Miau, Miauen, Maunzen and Gemaunze are all neuter nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/mi̯aʊ̯/
Did you know?
- The verb maunzen is a more expressive alternative to miauen and can be used to describe a cat that is persistently begging for food.
- The term maunz likely evolved as a backformation from the verb maunzen, which itself stems from the dated variant mau.
- Using Gemaunze to describe a person's speech suggests a sound that is annoying and repetitive, much like a hungry cat.
Examples in context
- Die Katze macht miau.The cat says "meow".This sentence shows how to use the interjection miau.Tatoeba #2839738 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2839724 by AlanF_US
- Die Katze miaute und sah mich an."Meow," said the cat, and it looked at me.This sentence demonstrates the use of the verb in the past tense (related to miau).Tatoeba #5901046 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1459981 by shekitten
- Das Miauen ist meine Aufgabe, nicht deine.It is my job to say meow, not yours.This sentence shows the noun form Miauen used in a sentence.Tatoeba #13801829 by Waldelfe, translation #13801828 by Waldelfe
- Ja, sie sind so süß. Sag mal 'Miau'!Yes, they are so cute. Say 'meow'!
- Danke! Übrigens, könnten Sie 'Miau' sagen?Thank you! By the way, could you say 'meow'?
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are playing with a kitten.
- LukasHör mal, die kleine Katze sagt miau!Listen, the little cat is saying meow!
- SarahOh, wie süß sie ist.Oh, how cute she is.
- LukasIch glaube, sie hat Hunger.I think she is hungry.
- SarahDann gib ihr schnell etwas Futter.Then give her some food quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meow” translations and entries miau, maunz, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry miau, miauen, maunzen.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maunz, miau, miauen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
