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Chat is “cat” in French.

But what about “kitty”, “kitten”, “pussy cat”, and other feline monikers?

Let’s look at the many ways to say “cat” in French – including one to be careful with!

Since we cat people like to talk about our favorite animal in lots of creative ways, you may come across new and evolving slang terms or terms of endearment the more you get into the cat world online and in books and magazines. But these are the standard “cat” terms you’ll hear most often and that will be understood by everyone.

The standard “cat”: un chat

Chat is the most common, standard way to say “cat” in French.

It’s a masculine noun, but in general French people don’t tend to specify a cat or dog’s gender unless it’s for a particular reason.

There’s a more specific reason for this when it comes to the word chatte, the feminine form of “cat” in French, and we’ll get to that in a minute.

So, in general, you might hear someone say J’ai un chat. (I have a cat), whether the cat is male or female.

Note that the word chat can have other meanings. For instance, it could be a borrowed English word for “chat” or “chatroom”.

And chat is also the way to say “tag”, the game where one person chases others and has to touch (“tag”) one of them so that they become the one who has to tag people. In French, the person who’s chasing everyone, called “it” in English, is le chat. Jouer à chat means “to play tag.”

The risky “cat”: une chatte

You probably learned in your French classes that une chatte is a female cat. That is perfectly true and correct, but this word also means “pussy” (a slang, vulgar term for female genitalia).

Because of this, if you say something like J’ai une chatte or J’aime ma chatte, you are almost guaranteed to see a smirk or smile on the other person’s face, especially from anyone under the age of 50. Some may even think you’re actually talking about your private parts rather than your pet!

That’s why, as I mentioned in the previous item on our list, most French people will tend to avoid using chatte in everyday language (well, unless they’re talking about the OTHER kind of chatte…) and not specify that they have a female cat, unless it’s absolutely necessary.

So you could say that while chatte does simply mean “female cat”, a better translation for it in contemporary French would be “pussy cat” or “pussy”.

With this in mind, it’s best to avoid using chatte unless you’re in a situation or place where it would absolutely be taken literally and seriously – for instance, a vet’s office, a breeder’s or shelter, or a cat show. In this way, it’s a bit like the term “bitch” in English, although chatte is never an insult.

Note that while another meaning of “pussy” is “weak person/coward” in English, chatte doesn’t have this meaning in French.

The “kitten”: un chaton

“Kitten” in French is un chaton.

This word is usually used for either a male or female kitten. But if it’s important to differentiate (maybe, for instance, in an adoption ad or at a shelter), the term une chatonne could be used for female kittens.

If you’re a cat person like me, you probably want to go look at some photos or videos of kittens  now, so I’ll wait….

The “kitty”: un minou (or sometimes minet/minette)

The most common way to say “kitty” in French is un minou. Like many of the terms on our list, this word is masculine but can sometimes be used for female cats as well.

You’ll probably also come across the variants minet for male kitties and minette for female kitties, although these are a bit less common than minou.

Minou can sometimes be a pet name or term of endearment, a bit like calling someone “kitten” in French. But I wouldn’t do this unless it was clearly understood that this was your intention, since, like another “cat” word on this  list, minou can also sometimes have a sexual context.

The “kitty cat”: chatounet

Chatounet can be roughly translated as “kitty cat” in French. It’s a bit less common than the other words on our list. Like other “kitty” words, you may hear it used as a term of endearment for a person.

The “kitty”…or card game: mistigri

Mistigri is another way to say “kitty” in French. It probably comes from old French words meaning “agile” and “gray”, although today it can be used for a cat of any color.  

You may come across this term but it’s more rare than the other French “cat” terms on our list, and you might also hear it used as a specific cat’s name.

Mistigri is also the name of a popular card game, usually played by children and families. The game involves getting matching pairs of cards and trying not to end up with the “mistigri”, a card that doesn’t match with any others.

There are lots of decks for Mistigri, and many are cat-themed, as you can see if you do an online search for “mistigri” or “mistigri jeu”.

The “tomcat”: un matou

Un matou is a tomcat in French. You’ll often hear the phrase un gros matou (a big tomcat). This term may be used for any male cat, whether or not he’s neutered.

Common types and breeds of cat in French

Now that we’ve looked at the most common ways to say “cat” in French, you might be wondering how to talk about specific kinds of cats.

For several years, the most common cat breed in France has been the Maine Coon (le Maine coon). You can see the rest of the most popular cat breeds in France on this recent list.

That said, while you’ll see that purebred cats number in the tens of thousands in France, the total number of pet cats has been counted at around 14 million, which suggests that a majority of cats in France are not purebred cats.

Whether they’re purebred or mixed, here are some of the most common types of cats you’ll hear about in France:

• un chat tigré – a tabby/striped cat
• un chat noir – a black cat. Note that traditionally in France, as in many other Western cultures, black cats are considered bad luck, but today they’re also appreciated by many.
• un chat persan – a Persian cat
• un chat de gouttière – a cat that’s  not a pure breed. Literally “gutter cat”, this can sometimes also be used the way “alley cat” is in English – that is, a cat who lives outside and has it kind of rough.
• un chat de race – a purebred cat.
• un chat européen – a European shorthair
• un chat domestique – a domestic cat
• un chat d’intérieur – an indoor cat
• le Chat Botté – Puss in Boots (Literally: The Cat in Boots). He makes this list because one of the earliest and most famous versions of his story was published by French writer Charles Perrault in 1697, in his book Histoires ou contes du temps passé, avec des moralités, also known as Contes de ma mère l’Oye, which you can read for free online (Le Chat Botté starts at page 67).

Don’t see your favorite cat breed or type of cat on this list? You can do an online search for “races de chat”. Or go to the breed’s page on Wikipedia in English and switch the language to French.

Essential French cat vocabulary

Here are some cat-related words you might want to know in French!

• un animal domestique/un animal de compagnie – a pet. There’s no shorter word for this in French.
• miaou – meow (the sound)
• miauler – to meow
• ronron – purr (the sound)
• ronronner – to purr
• cracher – to hiss
• le pelage – coat (of fur). Ex: Ce chat a un beau pelage. (This cat has beautiful fur/a beautiful coat.)
• le poil – another word for coat (of fur). Un chat à poil long is a long-haired cat; un chat à poil court is a short-haired cat.
• les poils -“hairs”, in this case, cat hair(s), aka what the clothing of a lot of us cat owners are covered in! Ex: Dans le métro, Jean a remarqué que sa veste était couverte de poils de chat. (In the Metro, Jean noticed that his jacket was covered in cat fur.)
• la gueule – muzzle/mouth. Gueule is a very complicated French word because it’s considered vulgar if you use it for a person. That’s why there are expressions like Ta gueule (Shut the hell up). But used with an actual animal, this is a perfectly neutral word. Ex: Le chat avait une souris dans sa guele (The cat had a mouse in its mouth.)
• les moustaches – whiskers. Ex: Les moustaches d’un chat sont souvent blanches ou noires, mais certains chats ont des moustaches bicolores. (A cat’s whiskers are usually white or black, but some cats have whiskers that are both colors.)
• une patte – a paw
• la queue – tail. Be careful because this word can also mean “penis”, so pay attention to context.
• une griffe/les griffes – a claw/claws. Note that declawing cats for non-medical reasons is illegal in France.
• griffer – to scratch
• un coup de griffe – a swipe of the claws. Ex: J’ai essayé de caresser le ventre de leur chat et il m’a donné un coup de griffe. (I tried to pet their cat’s belly et he swiped me with his claws.)
• un griffoir – a scratching post/cat scratcher
• un arbre à chat – a cat tree/scratching post
• faire sa toilette – to clean oneself. Note that this expression is used for a cat licking itself clean, but it’s also used for a person cleaning themself up.
• malaxer/pétrir – to knead, or, as many of us cat fans say in English, to “make biscuits”.
• des croquettes – hard food
• la nourriture (humide) – (wet) food
• une friandise – a treat (something to eat)
• l’herbe à chat OR l’herbe aux chats – catnip. According to Wikipedia, there is a slight difference in ingredients for each term in the French spoken in France, but not in Quebec. Still, most cat people in France probably don’t differentiate, either.
• la stérilisation – spaying or neutering. Ex: La stérilisation est un bon moyen de limiter la surpopulation de chatons, et de plus elle augmente l’espérance de vie d’un chat. (Spaying or neutering is a good way to limit the overpopulation of kittens, and on top of that it increases a cat’s life expectancy.)
• stérilisé(e) – spayed or neutered. There are a few other terms for “neutered” that you might come across, including castré and châtré.  
• la litière – litter OR a litter box. If you have to specify, un bac à litière works for “a litter box”.
• une chatière – cat door/cat flap
• une puce – an ID chip. This chip, implanted under a cat’s skin, allows him or her to be identified at any vet’s office in the country, in case he or she runs away. The chip is scanned and reveals a number and an owner’s name associated with it.
• un blep– a blep (an internet slang word for when a cat’s tongue adorably stays sticking out).
• chamedi – Caturday (chat (cat) + medi (urday)). The day for social media users to post cat photos and cat memes (well, more than they might usually do…). Note that since this is internet slang, many French people, especially of younger generations, might opt to just use the English term “Caturday” instead.
• une langue de chat – a vanilla-flavored cookie whose shape and rough texture resemble its name, a cat’s tongue. You can learn more about langues de chat in this interesting Wikipedia article.

Five common French cat expressions

As in English (and many other languages), there are a number of common French expressions and idioms that involve cats. Here are five you’ll most likely come across:

• Les chiens ne font pas des chats. – The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. That is, a child resembles their parent – so in this case, a cat will make a cat, not a dog.
• avoir un chat dans la gorge – to have a frog in your throat. In other words, to have a funny voice because your throat is irritated.
• s’entendre comme chien et chat – to not get along, to always be fighting with each other. Ex: Son frère et lui s’entendent comme chien et chat. (He and his brother don’t get along/always fight.)
• avoir d’autres chats à fouetter – to have other fish to fry. Literally “to have other cats to whip,” this expression is a bit less nice than its English equivalent! Ex: Laisse tomber. J’ai d’autres chats à fouetter. (Forget about it. I have other fish to fry.) You may also hear a similar expression: Il n’y a pas de quoi fouetter un chat. (It’s not a big deal.)
• Quand le chat n’est pas là, les souris dansent. – When the cat’s away, the mice will play.

You can find some other French “cat” expressions on this WordReference list. You can also find French “cat”-related expressions on this Wiktionnaire page.

French cat puns

In French, chat sounds like a funny way to say ça (this/that), which makes it perfect for all sorts of puns. Most commonly, you might come across a greeting card with a cat that says Chat va ? , a play on Ça va? (How are you?/How’s it going?).

But just about any ça phrase or expression could work.

And in fact, the word chat can also be substituted for any other word that has the sound ça or sa in it. That’s why, as you may have noticed, Caturday in English is chamedi (chat (cat) + medi (urday) in French — although since French people often keep internet lingo in the original English, you’ll probably see Caturday used, too.

As in English, though, remember that these puns will often be seen as silly at best and corny at worst, so use them sparingly, and maybe only with fellow cat (and pun) fans.

You can find more cat puns in French by doing an online search for “chat jeu de mots”.

The most popular French cat names

Although we often think of the French as dog owners, since 1996, cats have been the most common pet in France.

According to most sources, there are about 14 million pet cats in France today.

The five most common cat names in France in 2023 are:

• Simba
• Nala
• Tigrou (Tigger)
• Ruby
• Romy

Clear evidence that the French love Disney as much as many other cultures do!

Some other popular French cat names include:

• Snow
• Minette
• Sushi
• Cookie

But many French cat owners and shelters opt for other choices, too. You’ll come across names like Minou, as well as a gamut of human names. For instance, my own cat was named Arsène by the shelter where we adopted him. Since I love Arsène Lupin, I was thrilled!  

If you want to check out some other common cat names, or cat name ideas in French, do an internet search for “nom chat” or “idée prénom chat”.

Do the French like cats?

Cats are the most popular pet in France, so most French people like them. But there are always those who don’t – or even people who have a phobia of cats.

There’s also a tragic problem in France, which affects all pets, not just cats. Numbers vary widely, but every year anywhere from around 10,000 to as many as 200,000 pets are abandoned, often during vacation periods. It’s a dark side of French pet ownership, although of course there are so many other French pet owners who truly care for their pets and would never abandon them.

Animals are sometimes still seen a bit differently in France than they are in many Anglo-Saxon countries. We might talk about “furchildren” but in France, especially the countryside, animals are often seen as having a job (mousing, for cats) and being expendable.

And the concept of the “crazy cat lady” (a club of which I am a proud member!) doesn’t exist in the popular imagination here, even though there are plenty of us in France.

Still, take heart. In France today, you’ll more likely meet people who love (or at least like) cats, like the millions of households who have pet cats. Animal rights have vastly improved under French law in recent years. And there are many famous French animal rights activists and rescue groups and organizations, including la Fondation Brigitte Bardot and the group 30 millions d’amis, among numerous others.

You’ll find a few cat cafes in major French cities, and cat puns and cute cat cards everywhere. Stay long enough in Paris and you’ll start to find ghosts of emblematic cats like the chat noir who inspired the famous Montmartre cafe. You’ll meet people who love their cats, people who feed and help strays, run or volunteer at shelters, or share cat memes online.

So, while there are some French people who don’t care about cats, they seem to be the minority. Cats are beloved by lots of French people, and recognized by French law as living creatures who shouldn’t be harmed.

Where can I learn more French cat vocabulary?

A good way to learn more French cat vocabulary is by visiting websites about cats and watching French cat documentaries.

You can find French cat websites by doing a search like “site web chat” or “informations sur les chats”.

You can watch cat documentaries in French by going to YouTube and searching for “documentaire chat ”, or if you want, swap out the general term “chat” with your preferred breed or, one of my favorite kind of documentary subjects, chatons. You may also be able to find cat documentaries in French or with a French audio version available on streaming services like Netflix.

Another good source of French cat vocabulary are French books and French cat magazines.

For French cat books, you can search for “livre chat” or “roman chat”. If you prefer short stories, search for “nouvelle chat”.

For French magazines about cats,  an online search for “magazine chat” will give you lots of results. Many of these magazines are available online, though often in a limited capacity. Otherwise, you can check our article on French magazines for ways you might be able to subscribe to them from overseas.

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Fellow cat (and French) fans, I hope this article gave you your feline fix! If you have a cat, please give them une caresse (a pet) from me. And if you’d like to help cats, contact your local shelter to see if you can donate or volunteer.

Chat suffit pour aujourd’hui. (“Cat’s enough” for today.) Au revoir les amis !

How do you Say Cat in French?

There are 2 words to say cat in French

1. Le chat – male cat (say sha)
2. la chatte – female cat (say shat)

The common synonym for “un chat” is “un minou”.
The common synonym for “une chatte” is “une minette”.

What’s the French Word for kitten?

The French word for kitten is “le chaton”. It’s always used in the masculine, even if it’s a female kitten.

So how would you say female kitten? C’est un petit chaton femelle.

How do You Say Chat in French?

If “un chat” is ‘a cat’, then how do you say ‘a chat’ in French…

The traditional translation is “une discussion”, “un bavardage”… We tend to use the verb more: “discuter”, “bavarder” or even more used “papoter”
On a papoté toute la soirée !
We chatted all evening long!

Yet, for online chatting we use the English word and pronounce it sort of the English way [tshat]. We even turn it into a verb:
Tu veux chatter avec moi ?
Would you like to chat with me?

French Cat Embarrassing Mistake

So, I’m sorry in advance if I’m shocking some people, but you need to be aware of this since not knowing would lead you to a very embarrassing situation.

The female cat is called “la chatte”. That’s right. Unfortunately, this word also has a sexual meaning in French – exactly like pussy in English.

So… the same way as in English a woman may not want to say: “my pussy is so soft”… the exact same kind of innuendo exists in French.

Now, among cat owners, or cat breeders, I’m sure this ship has sailed… but with common French folks, just refer to your female cat as if she were a male… or at least read the room!

Another way around it is to use the common synomyme “une minette”. You can say : “ma petite minette est très douce” – my little female cat is very soft” and they’re will be not problem with that!

25 French Cat Words

And now let’s study some French cat vocabulary

1. Le chat – male cat (say sha)
2. la chatte – female cat (say shat)
3. le chaton – kitten, always masculine
4. les moustaches – whiskers
5. les pattes – paws
6. les griffes – claws
7. la queue – tail
8. Une boule de poils – hair ball
9. la litière – litter
10. Des croquettes (f) = dry cat food
11. De la nourriture pour chat = cat food
12. Une laisse = a leash
13. Un harnais = a harness
14. Un collier de chat = a cat collar
15. Une caisse/ une cage de transport = a cat crate
16. Un panier = a cat bed
17. Un tapis = a carpet
18. Un jouet = a toy
19. Un jouet à mâcher = chew toy
20. Une balle = a ball
21. Une souris = a mouse
22. Un arbre à chat = cat tree / climbing poles
23. Un griffoir = scratching pole
24. Un chat de gouttière = alley cat
25. Un matou = a big, large male cat

How Are Famous Cat Names Translated in French?

1. The Musical Cats is still called… Cats in French!
2. What about “Hello Kitty”? Same name… Hello Kitty !! Garfield, Tom, Felix… they are all called the same in French. But we do have a different French name for the Pussy Cat Sylvester of Warner Bros : Gros Minet . Tweety bird is called “Titi” in French, and the cartoon series “Titi et Gros Minet”…

7 French Cat Verbs

1. Miauler – to meow
2. Ronronner – to purr
3. Feuler – to hiss
4. Grogner – to growl
5. Griffer – to scratch 
6. Perdre ses poils – to lose one’s hair
7. Se frotter contre mes jambes – to rub against my legs

5 French Cat Actions

1. Le miaulement – meowing
2. Le ronronnement – purring
3. Le feulement – hissing
4. Le grognement – growl
5. La griffure – scratch

What Does A Cat Say in French

French cats say “miaou”.

Common French Cat Names

Common French cat names include Minet, Minou, Mistigri, Minette (f), Mouss…

More French cat names in my article.

6 Fun French Cat Expressions

Here are a few common French idioms refering to cats.

Calling a Cat a Cat

Appeler un Chat un Chat
To say things straight, like they are, without hesitation.

To give Your Tongue to the Cat

Donner sa langue au chat
To run out of guesses – So watch out, not exactly the same meaning as “Cat got your tongue?” in English.

There is not one Cat Around

Il n’y a pas un chat
There is nobody at all

To Have a Cat in the Throat

Avoir un chat dans la gorge
To have difficulty speaking because of a sore throat

It’s cat’s pee

C’est du pipi de chat
It’s nothing important

To Have Other cats to Whip

Avoir d’autres chats à fouetter
To have other worries

Common French Cat Breed

To say “cat breed” in French we use the words “une race de chat”. I know this sounds really bad in English but that’s how we say breed in French.

10 popular French cat breeds

1. Le Maine Coon
2. Le British Shorthair
3. Le Ragdoll
4. Le Persan
5. Le Chartreux
6. Le Sacré de Birmanie
7. Le Norvégien
8. Le Sphynx
9. Le Siamois
10. Le Bengal

Usually cat breed names are really close between French and English, so don’t hesitate to just say the English name with a French accent!

Beginner French Practice Cat Video 😻

And now for a treat! My bilingual daughter Leyla did a video about cats and dogs using the popular video game Minecraft! Enjoy!

Bonjour, c’est Leyla, and welcome to French Today !

Today, I’m going to tell you about cats and dogs in French: here is the French transcript and the English translation of my video: scroll down to play it and learn the correct French pronunciation of all these words!

Use the floating blue icon in the bottom right to hide/reveal the English translations below or just click here.

Les chiens et les chats sont des animaux de compagnie.

Dogs and cats are pets.

Cat in French

Alors, nous allons commencer par les chats.

So let’s start with the cats.

Souvent, en France, on appelle “un chat” “un minou, ou un minet, ou encore un matou”…
Mon chat ici s’appelle “Mistigri”.

Often in France, a cat is called …
My cat is called here “Mistigri”.

Une dame chat s’appelle “une chatte”. Souvent, en France on dit “une minette”, et c’est aussi le nom que j’ai décidé de lui donner.

A lady cat is called “une chatte”. Often, in France we say “a pussycat” and this is also the name that I decided to give her.

Et un bébé chat s’appelle “un chaton”. Il est trop mignon !

And a baby cat is called a “kitten”. He is so cute !

Quand il veut quelque chose, le chat miaule. En français, il fait “miaou”.
Quand il est content, il ronronne.
Et quand il est en colère, il feule.
Il peut aussi grogner, et parfois, il va griffer.

When he wants something, the cat meows. In French it says “meow”.
When he is happy, he purrs.
And when he is angry, he hisses.
It can also growl, and sometimes it will scratch.

Then Leyla moves on to talk about French dogs – how dare she? Please follow the link to my complete French dog guide for the transcript and English translation of the second part of the video.

Et vous ? Est-ce que vous avez un animal de compagnie ? Si oui, comment s’appelle-t-il ?

And you ? Do you have a pet? If so, how is it called?

Voilà, c’est tout pour aujourd’hui.

Here you go, that’s all for today.

Remember to check out French Today dot com for blog articles and your free audio book to learn French like it is spoken today.

Would you like to suggest more vocabulary or expressions? Please include them, with English translations, in the comments below and I’ll gladly add them to my list!

Is the French word for cat masculine or feminine?

The word for cat in French is chat, which is a masculine noun. The masculine form is used to refer to cats in general, not just specifically for a…

Is cat always masculine French?

It’s always used in the masculine, even if it’s a female kitten. So how would you say female kitten? C’est un petit chaton femelle.

What is the etymology of cat?

The origin of the English word ‘cat’, Old English catt, is thought to be the Late Latin word cattus, which was first used at the beginning of the 6th century. It was suggested that the word ‘cattus’ is derived from an Egyptian precursor of Coptic ϣⲁⲩ šau, “tomcat”, or its feminine form suffixed with -t.

What does Chichewa mean?

Noun. 1. Chichewa – a member of the Bantu-speaking people of Malawi and eastern Zambia and northern Zimbabwe. Cewa, Chewa. Malawi, Nyasaland, Republic of Malawi – a landlocked republic in southern central Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1964.

What number is Chichewa Imodzi?

Chichewa numbers

Numeral	Cardinal
13	khumi ndi mphambu zitatu
14	khumi ndi -nayi
15	khumi ndi -sanu
16	khumi ndi mphambu zisanu ndi imodzi

What are the names of Freya’s cats?

Freya’s chariot was pulled not by horses but by two male cats. Both cats were described as being blue or gray and had been a gift from Thor. Their names (bestowed upon them not by the ancient Norse but by a modern author, according to the Viking Answer Lady) were Bygul and Trjegul.

What are the top 10 cat names?

Top 10 most popular cat names of 2020

• Luna.
• Bella.
• Oliver.
• Charlie.
• Lucy.
• Leo.
• Max.
• Milo.

What is a cute girl cat name?

20 Most Popular Female Cat Names

• Bella.
• Chloe.
• Lucy.
• Lily.
• Sophie.
• Luna.
• Gracie.
• Molly.

What should I name my small cat?

This list is a great start.

• Bella.
• Kitty.
• Lily / Lilly.
• Charlie.
• Lucy.
• Leo.
• Milo.
• Jack.

What is the most common cat name?

United States

Source	VPI 2010	BabyNames.com (male)
1	Max	Max
2	Chloe	Tigger
3	Bella	Tiger
4	Oliver	Smokey

Do cats think we are their parents?

Cats treat humans as their mothers. No, your cat doesn’t actually think you’re the mama cat that birthed it. And cats reserve their affectionate behavior usually for the humans in their homes. Researchers found that cats were more relaxed and content around their humans, but more on high alert around strangers.

What was the first cat named?

Nedjem

What are Disney cats names?

Cat Names From Disney Cats

• The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland)
• Si & Am (Lady and the Tramp)
• Tigger (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)
• Lucifer (Cinderella)
• Simba (The Lion King)
• Mufasa (The Lion King)
• Nala (The Lion King)
• Sarabi (The Lion King)

What is a cute name for a boy cat?

Trends in Top Male Cat Names While word names like Shadow and Pepper are still big, along with character names like Tigger, Felix, and Simba, the cat names with the biggest growth are also popular baby names. That means cat lovers are choosing Jack, Jasper, and William (nickname Willie) as kitten names.

What Disney Princess has a cat?

Cinderella

Are cartoon cats real?

Cartoon Cat is not a real cat, but a character depicted as is a hostile cryptid and an urban legend. Cartoon Cat was created by artist Trevor Henderson. No, Cartoon Cat is a fictional cryptid feline character created by Trevor Henderson.

Why is cartoon cat evil?

While Cartoon Cat only attacks and/or kidnaps people when they are in/around his lair and, if his backstory of being an abandoned 1939 cartoon is true, attacks people for revenge, the Man with the Upside-Down Face affects people for his own sickening pleasure, feeding off of the negative emotions from those who had …

What SCP is cartoon cat?

SCP-2643

Why are they called cartoons?

So cartoon began in Italian as the word for the material on which a drawing is made, then became the word for the drawing itself. Next it came to mean a comic drawing, a series of drawings, or animation.

Why are cartoons today so bad?

The Reasons why the recent cartoons in these days are terrible is due to in fact that Many Animators, Directors and Producers are growing up into their 50s, 60s and 70s that a quarter of them had retired.

Why is anime called anime?

The word anime is short for animation. In Japan, the word anime simply means anything animated, regardless of where it’s from. The rest of the world usually defines anime as Japanese animation but because anime is the Japanese word for animation, we simply call Japanese animation that.

What is the greatest cartoon of all time?

TV Guide magazine’s 60 greatest cartoons of all time

• ” The Simpsons” (1989—present)
• ” The Flintstones” (1960—66)
• ” Looney Tunes” (1960—present)
• ” Peanuts” (1965—present)
• ” Scooby-Doo” (1969—present)
• ” Rocky and His Friends/The Bullwinkle Show” (1959—64)
• ” Batman: The Animated Series” (1992—95)
• “

What is the No 1 cartoon in the world?

1. SpongeBob Squarepants. SpongeBob Squarepants is the most popular cartoon in the world today. It is meant for both adults and children.

What is the number 1 best anime?

1. Death Note. Death Note is number one on our list based on many reasons. Firstly, it has been voted the number one anime series of all time by Japanese fans.

Who is the most famous cartoonist?

Top 20 Most Famous Cartoonists in The World 2021

• 1 Martin Rowson. Martin Rowson is a famous British cartoonist and one of the best in the world.
• 2 Bill Watterson.
• 3 Mike Judge.
• 4 Bruce MacKinnon.
• 5 Graeme Mackay.
• 6 Alan Moore.
• 7 Kevin Smith.
• 8 Manjul.

The French word for cat is
chat

Gender

The gender of chat is masculine. E.g. le chat.

Plural

The plural of chat is chats.

French Definition

cat
1. n. (Zoologie) Chat, chatte (animal).
That stray cat was carrying a bird in her mouth.
… il est le Chat qui s’en va tout seul et tous lieux se valent pour lui. Alors il s’en va par les Chemins Mouillés du Bois Sauvage, sous les Arbres ou sur les Toits, remuant sa queue, solitaire et sauvage.
2. n. (Argot) (Vulgaire) (Anglais vernaculaire afro-américain) Vagin ; vulve.

Translations for cat and their definitions

chat
1. n. cat (feline)
2. n. (male) cat, tom, tomcat
3. n. tag, tig (children’s game)
4. n. (Internet) chat (online discussion)

félin
1. adj. feline
2. adj. catlike
3. n. A cat, or a member of the cat family (family Felidae).

chatte
1. n-f. feminine noun of chat; she-cat
2. n-f. (vulgar) pussy, twat (female genitalia)
Puis-je te bouffer la chatte ? — Can I eat your pussy?
3. n-f. (slang or, vulgar) luck
T’as eu de la chatte de trouver un job si vite, compte tenu du la crise actuelle. — You had the luck to find a job so quickly, considering the current crisis.

félidé
1. n. (usually in the plural) A felid: a member of the Felidae sub-family.

Pronunciation

Dictionary

More French words for Animals
All vocabulary sets

Random Quiz:
Quel est le mot pour eighty-two?

Start learning French vocabulary

For all the animal lovers out there, learning how to say cat in French will definitely be an important addition to your vocabulary. There are a few important things to know about the word cat in French.

And that includes one mistake involving the word that you do not want to make. I know some people who have had some pretty awkward encounters because of it. 

But, besides learning the thing you should avoid regarding the word cat in French, you’ll also learn some facts you’ll want to dive right into. We’ll talk about slang words for cat in French, cat-related French idioms, and all the cat-related vocabulary you need for cat-filled French life. 

Become an expert in French dog vocabulary and phrases! Wouf, wouf!

How to Say Cat in French

Before we get too excited about all there is to learn about cat in French, let’s learn how to say the actual word itself. In French, cat is chat. 

As an English speaker, you might look at that word and want to pronounce cat in French the same as a “chat” you might have with coworkers during lunchtime.

But in French, the “ch” sound is pronounced, “sh.” Then, the “at” sound is pronounced like “ah,” so the pronunciation of chat in French sounds more like “sh-ah.”

Female Cat vs. Male Cat in French

But, there is something important to remember regarding the pronunciation of chat and it has to do with its gender. Like many French animal nouns, the word chat has male and female versions—which are both pronounced differently. 

In this case, chat is actually the masculine form for cat and chatte is the feminine. Chatte is pronounced with a hard “t” at the end so it sounds like “sh-at.” 

An Embarrassing Mistake With Cat in French

But there is something important to know about the French word, chatte.

Over time, the feminine word for cat has come to mean something completely different than its original meaning. While technically chatte does mean female chat, its more common meaning is a vulgar way to say “vagina.” 

Some of the older generations will still use the word chatte to refer to a female chat, but younger French speakers will usually steer clear unless using it in the vulgar way. 

If you need to share the sex of your cat in French, you could just say: 

• Mon chat s’appelle Sushi. C’est une femelle. My cat’s name is Sushi. She’s a girl. 

While chatte is still used to refer to a female chat in certain circumstances, I would just stick to chat to play it safe. 

Other French Translations of Cat in French

Besides chat and chatte, you might see some other translations of the word cat in the French-speaking world.  Here are a few examples:

• Félin/félidé – feline 
• Matou – tomcat (unneutered male cat)
• Chat gouttière – alley cat
• Kazh – cat in Breton

Slang Words for Cat in French

While there are quite a few other translations of cat in French, there are also a few slang words to know about. So, here are some of the most common slang words to talk about these adorable furballs: 

Minet – pussycat, kitty. This is a pretty old word so you’ll likely hear it used more by the older French people. This generation might also use the word as a term of endearment or as an offensive way to say homosexual so I would avoid throwing it around.   

Minou – pussycat, kitty cat, kitty. This is similar to the French word toutou, which is a word for dog in French used by children. This word is mostly used to talk about little, cute cats.

It’s also another vulgar slang word, but if you’re talking about a cat, you can use the word minou without being worried about offending anyone. 

Idioms That Use the Word “Cat” in French

As with most languages, French contains many informal words, expressions, and phrases that have a different meaning than the typical meaning of the words used. This is not only true for slang words, but also for idiomatic expressions.

So here are a few idiomatic expressions containing the word cat in French that are important to know. 

In these phrases, the word cat might not directly translate to “cat” since the translation is idiomatic. If you’re still confused, don’t worry, we’re going to look at a few of these cat-related idiomatic expressions together.

Chat échaudé craint l’eau froide.

• Direct translation: A warmed-up cat is afraid of cold water.  
• Meaning: Once bitten, twice shy. 

Retomber comme un chat sur ses pattes.

• Direct translation: To land like a cat on its paws. 
• Meaning: To land on one’s feet. 

Appeler un chat un chat

• Direct translation: To call a cat a cat. 
• Meaning: To tell it like it is. 

Coûter le lard du chat

Direct translation: To cost the fat of a cat. 

Meaning: To be very expensive. 

Passer comme un chat sur la braise 

• Direct translation: To pass like a cat on embers. 
• Meaning: To pass quickly or take off at full throttle. 

Quand le chat n’est pas là les souris danse

• Direct translation: When the cat isn’t there, the mice dance. 
• Meaning: While the cat’s away, the mice will play. 

Avoir d’autres chats à fouetter.

• Direct translation: To have other cats to whip. 
• Meaning: To have bigger fish to fry. 

Il ne faut pas réveiller le chat qui dort 

• Direct translation: You shouldn’t wake the cat who sleeps.  
• Meaning: Let sleeping dogs lie. 

Faire une toilette de chat.

• Direct translation: To do the cat’s washing up.   
• Meaning: To clean yourself/wash up very quickly.  

Donner sa langue au chat.

• Direct translation: To give one’s tongue to the cat. 
• Meaning: To give up on a thought you’re having, as in you’re trying to think of something and it’s not coming to you so you give up trying to think about it. 

Common English Idioms That Use the Word “Cat” and Their Translations in French

Of course, now that we’ve talked a little about French idioms that contain the word chat, we need to talk about English idioms that use the word cat. Just like how chat doesn’t always translate to “cat” when within French idioms, we’re going to take a look at how cat doesn’t always translate to chat when within English idioms.

For example, if you look at the word “cat” within the English Idiom “curiosity killed the cat,” it doesn’t translate to chat since the phrase doesn’t translate literally. 

But let’s look at a few more. 

How to Say “Curiosity Killed the Cat” in French

• French version: La curiosité est un vilain défaut.
• Direct Translation: Curiosity is a dreadful flaw.  

How to Say “Cat’s Got your Tongue” in French

• French version: Tu as perdu ta langue ? 
• Direct Translation: Did you lose your tongue?  

How to Say “It’s Raining Cats and Dogs” in French

• French version: Il pleut comme vache qui pisse
• Direct Translation: It’s raining like a cow who’s pissing

Key Cat-Related Phrases in French

Finally, you know everything about using the word cat in French—from the good, the bad, and the downright adorable. But now we’re going to get started on everything you’ll need to interact with a cat in France or even have one of your own! 

How to Say “I have a cat” in French

• J’ai un chat. 

How to Say “I love my cat” in French

• J’aime mon chat. 

How to Say “Cat lady” in French

• Une dame aux chats.  

How to Say “Cat Sitter” in French

• Une personne qui vient s’occuper du chat. 

Common Cat-Related Words in French

• Ronronnement  –  purring 
• Miaulement – meowing
• La Litière – litter box/litter
• Un Chaton – kitten 
• Un collier pour chat – cat collar
• Grattoir/Griffoire pour chat – cat scratcher
• Nourriture pour chat – cat food
• Une patte – paw
• Les moustaches – whiskers
• Un chat tricolore – calico cat
• Un chat domestique – domestic cat/house cat
• Un chat tigré – tabby cat  
• Un chat noir – black cat

French Animal Sounds: What Does a Cat Say in French?

Something we often forget about when learning a new language is the sounds their animals make. Since many languages have different sounds from one another (for example the French don’t have the sound “th”), it makes sense why we don’t all mimic the sounds our animals make in the same way. 

For example, in English, a bird says “Chirp, chirp,” while in French it says, “Cui, cui.” 

For cats, the French say “miaou,” which is almost exactly how we pronounce it in English. It’s pronounced with a little French accent, but you can hear its almost identical pronunciation in this French children’s song, Miaou, Miaou, la Nuit Dernière. 

French Cat Names + The Unique French Cat-Naming Tradition

Earlier we talked about how to talk about cats in French, cat-related vocabulary, and even cat slang words. So now you have everything you need to have a cat in France besides its name.

Therefore, let’s dive into some cute French cat names. In English, we have popular cat names like “Luna” and “Milo.” Here are the most popular French cat names:

• Chaussette
• Kitty
• Sweety
• Rock
• Meiko 
• Minette
• Nala
• Tigrou
• Gribouille 
• Plume

Interestingly, there is actually a particular tradition with naming your cat in French. Back in 1926, the Société Centrale Canine, or Central Canine Society, decided to make a rule that all dogs born in the same year would have a name that started with the same letter. 

This was because they kept the names of certain dogs in a book called the LOF (Livre des origines Français) and they thought the rule would add some order to the list of dog names in there. Eventually, more animals were added to this rule–including cats. 

Now it’s less of a rule and just a way to more easily think of your new pet’s name. Interestingly, letters “K”, “Q”, “W”, “X”, “Y,” and “Z” are skipped over because it’s more difficult to find names that begin with them.

However, if you do want to choose a name that starts with these letters, you can do so during the year with the letter that comes right before it. 

For example, in 2022, the letter of the year is T, which means French cat owners could choose names like Topaze, Tigri or Timinou. This isn’t a requirement, but you’ll find a lot of French families who do so.

Discover more:

• French animal vocabulary
• French dog vocabulary and phrases