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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "kitten" in Chinese?
小猫
xiǎo māo
In Chinese, "kitten" is 小猫 (xiǎo māo).
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Pronunciation
"xiǎo māo" is spoken with "xiǎo" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3), then "māo" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1).
Writing and usage
小猫 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
一只柔软的小猫在我腿上呼噜着。
yī zhī róu ruǎn de xiǎo māo zài wǒ tuǐ shàng hū lū zhe 。
A soft kitten purred on my lap.
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How to remember 小猫
Link the sound of "xiǎo māo" to something in English that it faintly echoes, then picture that image next to "小猫" (xiǎo māo).
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 小猫
How do you pronounce 小猫?
"xiǎo māo" is spoken with "xiǎo" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3), then "māo" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1).
Is 小猫 formal or casual?
小猫 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 小猫 used in Chinese?
小猫 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 一只柔软的小猫在我腿上呼噜着。 (A soft kitten purred on my lap.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"Kitten" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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