Words across Indian languages
Cat in Indian languages
The word for “cat” in 5 Indian languages — native script, pronunciation and example sentences in each.
| Language | Native script | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Telugu (తెలుగు) | పిల్లి | pilli |
| Tamil (தமிழ்) | பூனை | pūṉai |
| Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) | ಬೆಕ್ಕು | bekku |
| Hindi (हिन्दी) | बिल्ली | billī |
| Bengali (বাংলা) | বিড়াল | biṛal |
In Telugu
Cat in Telugu
పిల్లి
pilli
Also: Pilli
In Tamil
Cat in Tamil
பூனை
pūṉai
Also: Poonai
In Kannada
Cat in Kannada
ಬೆಕ್ಕು
bekku
Also: Bekku
In Hindi
Cat in Hindi
बिल्ली
billī
Also: Billi
In Bengali
Cat in Bengali
বিড়াল
biṛal
Also: Biral, Biral
Cat across Indian languages — frequently asked
How do you say "Cat" in Indian languages?
In Telugu: పిల్లి (pilli). In Tamil: பூனை (pūṉai). In Kannada: ಬೆಕ್ಕು (bekku). In Hindi: बिल्ली (billī). In Bengali: বিড়াল (biṛal).
Is the word for "Cat" the same in all Indian languages?
No — each language has its own word and script. Telugu uses పిల్లి; Tamil uses பூனை; Kannada uses ಬೆಕ್ಕು; Hindi uses बिल्ली; Bengali uses বিড়াল. Some share roots (Hindi and Bengali both descend from Sanskrit) and others are completely independent (Tamil is from a different language family).
Which Indian languages share the word for "Cat"?
Each of the 5 languages we cover (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali) has its own distinct word for "cat".
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