miau
/ˈmjau/
The English phrase "nya" is translated into Spanish as miau.
miau is an onomatopoeic word representing the sound of a cat in Spanish.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmjau/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the verb maullar is used to describe the action of a cat making a sound, but it is also used metaphorically to describe a person complaining in a weak or ineffective way.
- While miau is the standard sound, a cat's cry that is particularly piercing or loud is often described as a maullido desgarrador, meaning 'heart-rending'.
- Spanish differentiates between the general sound a cat makes, miau, and the specific act of meowing, which requires the dedicated verb maullar.
Examples in context
- Me causa aprehensiónIt makes me apprehensive.
- El gato hace miau.The cat goes meow.
- Escuché un miau en la cocina.I heard a meow in the kitchen.
- Ese pequeño miau suena muy tierno.That little meow sounds very cute.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are looking at a cat.
- LucíaMira ese gato, es muy lindo.Look at that cat, it is very cute.
- DanielSí, creo que quiere jugar.Yes, I think he wants to play.
- LucíaEscucha, acaba de decir miau.Listen, he just said meow.
- DanielEs muy tierno.He is very sweet.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry miau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
