Orión es el nombre del gato.
Orión is the cat's name.
A pet with a name is part of the family.
From Hombres de negro · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "cat" in Spanish
el gato
nounmasculinefemale cat: la gataplural: los gatos
"Cat" in Spanish is el gato. A female cat is la gata, and a kitten is el gatito. Cat lovers across Latin America also say michi.
Hear "gato" in real movie scenes
Two scenes where someone says it. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Cielos, es un gato.
Good heavens, it's a cat.
You open the grill before dinner, and something furry is sitting inside.
From La herencia del Sr. Deeds · Spanish audio
Gato, gata, gatito or michi?
One animal, several words. Here's what each one says.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| el gato | a cat, or a male cat | Tengo un gato. I have a cat. |
| la gata | a female cat | La gata duerme. The cat is sleeping. |
| el gatito | a kitten | ¡Qué gatito tan bonito! What a cute kitten! |
| el michi | informal and affectionate, common in Latin America and online | Mira al michi. Look at the kitty. |
| el minino | affectionate, a bit old-fashioned | Ven, minino. Come here, kitty. |
Tip: Gato also names a car jack, the tool you use to lift a car. The sentence makes the meaning clear.
Grammar: el gato, la gata
Four things to know about the word.
Masculine by default
el gato works for any cat. Say la gata when you know it's female.Plural
los gatos, las gatas. A mixed group is los gatos.Small and cute
The ending -ito makes it small: gatito, gatita.A hard g
The g sounds like the g in go: GA-to.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
El gato de la fotografía número veinte es bonito.
The cat in photograph number twenty is pretty.
Es un gato muy fuerte.
It's a very strong cat.
El gato es muy tranquilo.
The cat is very calm.
Tengo dos gatos.
I have two cats.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗la gato
✓la gata
For a female cat, change the ending too, not only the article.
✗el gatto
✓el gato
One t. Gatto with two is Italian.
✗un gato muy tranquila
✓un gato muy tranquilo
The adjective agrees with gato, so it ends in -o.
Real conversation: watch out for the cat
A short dialog at a friend's door. Tap to listen.
You visit someone, and they warn you about their cat.
¡Cuidado con el gato!
Watch out for the cat!
¿Es un gato peligroso?
Is it a dangerous cat?
No, pero es muy fuerte.
No, but it's very strong.
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
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How to remember it
Picture a cat sitting on a gate. Add an o, and you have gato.
Questions about "cat" in Spanish
How do you say cat in Spanish?
El gato. A female cat is la gata and a kitten is el gatito.
What does michi mean in Spanish?
Michi is an informal, affectionate word for cat. You'll hear it across much of Latin America and see it all over social media.
How do you say "I have a cat" in Spanish?
Tengo un gato. For two cats: Tengo dos gatos.
