miau
/ˈmjaw/
The Polish word for the English phrase "meow" is miau. If unsure, use miau. Wiktionary also lists miauk.
Meaning: cry of a cat (intj)
Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| miau | /ˈmjaw/ | |
| miauk | masculine |
The term miau is used to represent the sound a cat makes. You can use it as an interjection to imitate a cat's cry or as a noun referring to the cry itself. For the action of a cat making this sound, the verb miauczeć is used, while miauczenie refers to the act of meowing as a verbal noun.
Which one should you use?
miau is the standard way to represent the sound, whereas miauk is a masculine noun form. Both can refer to the cry of a cat.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
miauk is a masculine noun. To describe the action of meowing, use the verb miauczeć or the verbal noun miauczenie to describe the act of meowing.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmjaw/
Did you know?
- In Polish, the verb miauczeć can be used metaphorically to describe a person complaining in a whining or annoying tone.
- While the standard word is miau, Polish speakers often use the phrase miau miau as a playful, baby-talk way to refer to cats in general when speaking to children.
- The word miau is a pure onomatopoeia, meaning it was created solely to mimic the sound of the animal rather than being derived from an older root.
Examples in context
- Krowa robi muu, kot robi miau.A cow goes moo, a cat goes meow.This example shows how to contrast the sounds made by a cow and a cat using miau.Tatoeba #2900742 by Piteris, translation #2900741 by Piteris
- "Miau", powiedział kot i na mnie spojrzał."Meow," said the cat, and looked at me.This sentence uses miau to illustrate a cat speaking.Tatoeba #2248068 by mayahueli, translation #12991507 by araneo
- "Co tam, Cookie?" "Miau." "Zawsze tak mówisz.""What's up, Cookie?" "Meow." "You always say that."This example uses miau as a response in a dialogue.Tatoeba #11277671 by hecko, translation #10249043 by shekitten
- Zostałeś zamknięty w łazience? Miau!Were you locked in the bathroom? Meow!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tomasz is feeding the cat in the kitchen.
- TomaszKto jest głodny? Kto chce jeść?Who is hungry? Who wants to eat?
- AgnieszkaSłyszałeś? Kot robi miau!Did you hear? The cat is meowing!
- TomaszTak, bardzo głośno prosi o jedzenie.Yes, he is asking for food very loudly.
- AgnieszkaDaj mu już tę karmę, Tomaszu.Just give him the food, Tomasz.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meow” translations and entries miau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries miau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
