How to Say ‘Cat’ in Korean

Much like our other little furry friend the dog, cats are also popular among Koreans. Therefore, knowing how to say ‘cat’ in Korean is a splendid little addition to anyone’s basic vocabulary. As such, in this post, you’ll find out how to say ‘cat’ in Korean!

 

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‘Cat’ in Korean

In comparison to the word for ‘dog’ in Korean, the word for ‘cat’ might be considered slightly more difficult to remember and pronounce. But what is the actual word? The word for ‘cat’ is 고양이 (goyangi) in Korean! It’s three syllables, but it’s actually quite simple to pronounce. Bonus good news: The word for ‘cat’, 고양이 (goyangi), can also be used to mean kittens!

 

To best enhance your learning and memorization, below are some sample sentences through which you can see and remember how the word for ‘cat’ is used in practice.

 

Sample Sentences

우리 고양이가 보통 개를 안좋아해요 (uri goyangiga botong gaereul anjohahaeyo)

Our cat doesn’t usually like dogs

 

너는 고양이와 개 중에서 어느 쪽을 더 좋아해? (neoneun goyangiwa gae jungeseo eoneu jjogeul deo johahae?)

Do you prefer cats or dogs?

 

오늘 같이 고양이카페로 놀려 갈래? (oneul kachi goyangikapero nolleo gallae?)

Do you want to go to a cat café together today?

 

Other Related Vocabulary

Although there officially isn’t another word for ‘kitten’ in Korean, if you want to make a clear distinction between a ‘cat’ and a ‘kitten’, you can use the words below.

 

고양이 (goyangi) = cat

새끼 고양이 (goyangi saeggi) = kitten

 

Also, here is the word for the sound that cats in Korea make.

야옹 (yaong) = meow

 

Here’s a sample sentence on how to use it:

 

고양이가 야옹야옹 울고 있어요 (goyangiga yaong yaong ulgo isseoyo)

The cat is meowing

 

A Word of Caution About Romanization

Even though we provide the romanized version of the Korean words we teach, you’ll do much better if you learn Hangul (the Korean alphabet). Romanization is done by taking the Korean word and using similar sounding letter combinations in English. Since it’s much less precise than Hangul, it’s easy to mispronounce words, or to not understand what the other person is saying.

It’s much simpler to learn the Korean alphabet, especially since it only takes 60 – 90 minutes. It’s very motivating to be able to read the Korean characters. Once you do, you’ll find yourself reading Korean letters all the time!

 

The word고양이 (goyangi) specifically means cat – and the other equivalent words for ‘cat’ in English – so every time you see the word around, there should be very little confusion over the meaning of the word! Now that you know how to say ‘cat’ in Korean, it’s time to go use it in the real world; perhaps by visiting your nearest cat café?

 

 *Want more Korean phrases? Go to our Korean Phrases Page for a complete list!

 

Learn to read Korean and be having simple conversations, taking taxis and ordering in Korean within a week with our FREE Hangeul Hacks series: http://www.90DayKorean.com/learn

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