gaa1 maau1家貓家猫
Jyutpinggaa1 maau1
Yalegā māau
Definition
House cat; a domesticated cat kept as a pet.
neutralanimals
How it's used
While 家貓 is the direct term for a domestic cat, Hong Kongers frequently use the more casual 貓貓 when talking about their own pets or referring to cats in a friendly way. Using 家貓 sounds slightly more descriptive or formal, similar to distinguishing a pet from a stray cat.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
Related words
Common phrases
to keep a house cat
Common mistake
Avoid using 家貓 to refer to a stray cat, which is called 流浪貓. If you are just talking about a cat in general, simply using 貓 is much more natural than specifying it is a house cat.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
