猫 (māo) — cat

猫 (māo)

A cat. 猫 is the standard word for a domestic cat in Chinese. The pronunciation "māo" is thought to be onomatopoeic, mimicking the sound of a cat's meow.

Meanings

1. [noun] Cat. The common domestic feline animal kept as a pet.

Example Sentences

我家有一只猫。 Wǒ jiā yǒu yī zhī māo. My family has a cat.

这只猫很可爱。 Zhè zhī māo hěn kě'ài. This cat is very cute.

猫喜欢吃鱼。 Māo xǐhuān chī yú. Cats like to eat fish.

她的猫是白色的。 Tā de māo shì báisè de. Her cat is white.

Collocations

Memory Hook

The word 猫 sounds like "meow" said with a flat, steady tone. Say "māo" aloud and you are basically calling a cat. The pronunciation is one of the most intuitive sound connections in Chinese vocabulary.