Cats are beloved animals worldwide, and their distinctive “meow” sound is universally recognized. However, the word for “meow” varies across different languages and cultures. In this article, we’ll explore how the word for “meow” is expressed in 70 different languages, from the most widely spoken to some of the lesser-known ones.
Here is a list of how to say “meow” in 70 different languages:
- Albanian (🇦🇱) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Arabic (🇸🇦) – مواء (Mawa’) | Pronunciation: Ma-wa’
- Armenian (🇦🇲) – Միաու (Miau) | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Azerbaijani (🇦🇿) – Miyov | Pronunciation: Mee-yov
- Basque (🇪🇸) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Belarusian (🇧🇾) – Мяў (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Bengali (🇧🇩) – মিউ (Miu) | Pronunciation: Mee-u
- Bosnian (🇧🇦) – Mijau | Pronunciation: Mee-yau
- Bulgarian (🇧🇬) – Мяу (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Catalan (🇪🇸 – Catalonia) – Mèu | Pronunciation: Meh-oo
- Czech (🇨🇿) – Mňau | Pronunciation: Myau
- Danish (🇩🇰) – Miav | Pronunciation: Mee-av
- Dutch (🇳🇱) – Miauw | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- English (🇺🇸 / 🇬🇧) – Meow | Pronunciation: Mee-ow
- Estonian (🇪🇪) – Näu | Pronunciation: Now
- Farsi (Persian) (🇮🇷) – میو (Miau) | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Finnish (🇫🇮) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- French (🇫🇷) – Miaou | Pronunciation: Mee-ow
- Georgian (🇬🇪) – მია (Mia) | Pronunciation: Mee-ah
- German (🇩🇪) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Greek (🇬🇷) – Νιάου (Niaou) | Pronunciation: Nee-ow
- Hebrew (🇮🇱) – מיאו (Miau) | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Hindi (🇮🇳) – म्याऊँ (Myaun) | Pronunciation: Mya-oon
- Hungarian (🇭🇺) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Icelandic (🇮🇸) – Mjá | Pronunciation: Myau
- Indonesian (🇮🇩) – Meong | Pronunciation: Meh-ong
- Irish Gaelic (🇮🇪) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Italian (🇮🇹) – Miao | Pronunciation: Mee-ow
- Japanese (🇯🇵) – ニャー (Nyaa) | Pronunciation: Nyaa
- Kazakh (🇰🇿) – Мяу (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Khmer (Cambodian) (🇰🇭) – យោ (Yow) | Pronunciation: Yow
- Korean (🇰🇷) – 야옹 (Ya-ong) | Pronunciation: Ya-ong
- Kurdish (🇮🇶 / 🇸🇾 / 🇹🇷 / 🇮🇷) – Meow | Pronunciation: Me-ow
- Kyrgyz (🇰🇬) – Мяу (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Lao (🇱🇦) – ແມວ (Meow) | Pronunciation: Me-ow
- Latvian (🇱🇻) – Mijau | Pronunciation: Mee-yau
- Lithuanian (🇱🇹) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Luxembourgish (🇱🇺) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Macedonian (🇲🇰) – Мјау (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Malay (🇲🇾 / 🇮🇩) – Meow | Pronunciation: Me-ow
- Maltese (🇲🇹) – Mew | Pronunciation: Mew
- Mandarin Chinese (🇨🇳) – 喵 (Miāo) | Pronunciation: Mee-ow
- Marathi (🇮🇳) – म्याव (Myav) | Pronunciation: Myav
- Mongolian (🇲🇳) – Мяу (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Nepali (🇳🇵) – म्याउ (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Norwegian (🇳🇴) – Mjau | Pronunciation: Myau
- Pashto (🇦🇫) – میاو (Miaw) | Pronunciation: Mee-aw
- Polish (🇵🇱) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Portuguese (🇵🇹 / 🇧🇷) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Romanian (🇷🇴) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Russian (🇷🇺) – Мяу (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Serbian (🇷🇸) – Мјау (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Sinhala (🇱🇰) – මියව් (Miyav) | Pronunciation: Mee-yav
- Slovak (🇸🇰) – Mňau | Pronunciation: Myau
- Slovenian (🇸🇮) – Mijav | Pronunciation: Mee-yav
- Somali (🇸🇴) – Miiw | Pronunciation: Mee-w
- Spanish (🇪🇸) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Swahili (🇰🇪 / 🇹🇿) – Miau | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Swedish (🇸🇪) – Mjau | Pronunciation: Myau
- Tajik (🇹🇯) – Мяу (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Tamil (🇮🇳) – ம்யாவ் (Myāv) | Pronunciation: Myav
- Telugu (🇮🇳) – మ్యావ్ (Myāv) | Pronunciation: Myav
- Thai (🇹🇭) – เหมียว (Mīao) | Pronunciation: Mee-ow
- Turkish (🇹🇷) – Miyav | Pronunciation: Mee-yav
- Ukrainian (🇺🇦) – Мяу (Myau) | Pronunciation: Myau
- Urdu (🇵🇰) – میاؤں (Miaoon) | Pronunciation: Mee-aoon
- Uzbek (🇺🇿) – Myao | Pronunciation: Myau
- Vietnamese (🇻🇳) – Meo | Pronunciation: Me-ow
- Welsh (🇬🇧 – Wales) – Miaw | Pronunciation: Mee-au
- Zulu (🇿🇦) – Mewu | Pronunciation: Me-woo
Learning how to say “meow” in different languages is a fun and engaging way to appreciate the diversity of linguistic expressions around the world. Whether you are a cat lover, a language enthusiast, or simply curious, this list serves as a comprehensive guide to this familiar feline sound.