Cat got your tongue?

You'd think that if you've heard one cat "meow"- you've heard them all. But a French cat goes "miaou".

"Here kitty kitty" or even "ici minou minou" is not going to get a French cat near you. You have to say "bi biss".

But saying "viens ici, mon minou" might get your sweetheart near you. Or not.


un chat/une chatte = a cat (m/f)
le minou = the cat, kitty cat, pussycat (m+f); can be used as a term of endearment
viens ici, mon minou = come here, my cat

Cat got your tongue could be translated with:
tu as mangé ta langue = you ate your tongue
tu as avalé ta langue = you swallowed your tongue

Animal sounds and commands from around the world

la photo: a one-eyed cat (no photoshop retouching here!)
à Neuenbürg en Allemand, en août 2002