Katze

German

Alternative forms

  • Katz (chiefly in idioms)

Etymology

Old High German kazza, earlier *katta, from Late Latin catta, feminine of cattus. Akin to Old English catt (“cat”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkʰɑtsə/, /ˈkʰatsə/ (most of Germany)
  • IPA(key): /ˈkɑtːsə/ (Austro-Bavarian, Switzerland, regional Germany)
  • Audio(file)
  • Audio (Austria)(file)
  • Rhymes: -atsə
  • Hyphenation: Kat‧ze

Noun

Katze f (genitive Katze, plural Katzen, diminutive Kätzchen n or Kätzlein n, feminine Kätzin, masculine Kater)

  1. house cat, Felis silvestris catus
    Synonym: Hauskatze
  2. (specifically) a female house cat
    Synonym: Kätzin (uncommon)
  3. cat (any member of the genus Felis)
  4. (astronomy) the constellation Felis

Usage notes

Katze is the common term to refer to a cat (both male and female ones). The derived form Kätzin is mostly restricted to poetic language and technical language.

Declension

Hyponyms

(any cat):

  • Großkatze (“member of Pantherinae”)
  • Kleinkatze
  • Kater (“a male cat”)

Derived terms

Further reading

Pennsylvania German

Noun

Katze

  1. plural of Katz
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