mjau
The Swedish word for "meow" is mjau.
If you are referring to the sound itself as a noun, you can use mjau or jamande.
Meaning: cry of a cat (intj)
Which one should you use?
The interjection mjau is used for the sound itself, while jama is the verb used to describe the action of a cat making that sound.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To say that a cat "meows" in the present tense, use the verb jama and add the ending -r to form jamar.
Did you know?
- While jama means 'meow', the Swedish word for 'purr' is spinna, which is the same verb used for 'spinning' yarn.
- The verb jama for meowing is the same word used in Swedish to describe 'complaining' or 'whining' in a repetitive, annoying way.
- Using the word jama to describe a person's speech can be quite dismissive, as it suggests their voice is a repetitive, irritating noise.
Examples in context
- Mjau.Meow.This example shows the interjection mjau used on its own.Tatoeba #5892990 by User73201, translation #2176411 by dafp
- Kossan säger ”mu”, tuppen säger ”kuckeliku”, grisen säger ”nöff, nöff”, ankan säger ”kvack, kvack” och katten säger ”mjau”.The cow goes "moo," the rooster goes "cock-a-doodle-doo," the pig goes "oink, oink," the duck goes "quack, quack" and the cat goes "meow."This sentence demonstrates how mjau is used to describe the cat's sound among other animal sounds, using the form mjau.Tatoeba #1754503 by loghaD, translation #866505 by papabear
- Min granne har en katt som säger "mjau" varje morgon.My neighbor has a cat that says "meow" every morning.
- Min katt säger mjau.My cat says meow.
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are looking at a kitten in a pet shop.
- LucasHörde du? Den lilla katten sa mjau!Did you hear? The little cat said meow!
- EmmaJa, den är så gullig, Lucas.Yes, she is so cute, Lucas.
- LucasJag tror att den är hungrig.I think she is hungry.
- EmmaDet låter verkligen som om den mjauar för mat.It really sounds like she is meowing for food.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meow” translations and entries mjau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
