мя́у
mjáu
The Russian word for the English meow is мя́у (mjáu). Wiktionary also lists мяу́кание (mjaúkanije).
Meaning: cry of a cat (intj)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| мя́у | mjáu | |
| мяу́кание | mjaúkanije | neuter |
The word мяу is used to imitate the sound that cats make.
Which one should you use?
While мя́у is the sound itself, the neuter noun мя́уканье refers to the act or sound of meowing itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe the action of a cat, you can use the imperfective verb мя́укать for an ongoing action or the perfective verb мяу́кнуть to describe a single, completed instance of a cat meowing. The noun мя́уканье refers to the act or sound of meowing itself.
How do you pronounce it?
mjáu
Did you know?
- In Russian, the act of meowing мяукать can be used metaphorically to describe a person who is whining or complaining in a weak and annoying way.
- In Russian, while a cat says мя́у, the sound of a dog is often described as гав-гав instead of a phonetic 'woof'.
- When talking to cats, Russian speakers often use a diminutive or 'baby talk' version of the sound to sound more affectionate.
Examples in context
- Привет, мой мур-мур, как дела?Hi, my purr-purr, how are you doing?
Example conversation
Dmitry and Ekaterina are in the kitchen with their pet cat.
- Дмитрий DmitryСмотри, кот опять говорит мя́у.Smotri, kot opyat' govorit myau.Look, the cat is saying meow again.
- Екатерина EkaterinaНаверное, он хочет есть.Navernoye, on khochet est'.He probably wants to eat.
- Дмитрий DmitryЯ сейчас насыплю ему корма.Ya seychas nasyplyu yemu korma.I will pour some food for him now.
- Екатерина EkaterinaВот теперь он доволен.Vot teper' on dovolen.Now he is happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meow” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
