mèo
Hanoi [mɛw˨˩]Huế [mɛw˦˩]Saigon [mɛw˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
mèo means cat.
Classifier: con — e.g. một con mèo (one cat)
Meanings of mèo in English
Noun
- cat
Verb
- meow
Words with mèo
Idioms and sayings with mèo
- giấu như mèo giấu cứt — to put a lot of effort into hiding something bad
- mèo già hoá cáo — the older someone is, the more cunning they become
- mèo khen mèo dài đuôi — cats who boast of their own long tails
Example sentences with mèo
- Cô ta cho con mèo uống sữa. She gave milk to the cat.
- Cô ấy cho con mèo uống sữa. She gave milk to the cat.
- Quả thật bà ấy rất yêu mèo. She really likes cats a lot.
- Hổ lớn hơn và khỏe hơn mèo. Tigers are bigger and stronger than cats.
- Tôi đã mua một con mèo con. I bought a kitten.
- Con mèo nó không cử động cơ. The cat didn't move a muscle.
- Con mèo đó thích ngủ gần tôi. The cat likes to sleep beside me.
- Nhìn con mèo trên mái nhà đi. Look at that cat on the roof.
Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, mèo could be written as 猫, 貓. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Onomatopoeic, from the animal's cry. Compare Khasi miaw, Ahom 𑜈𑜢𑜈𑜫 (biw), Chinese 貓 /猫, Thai แมว (mɛɛo), Northern Thai ᨾᩯ᩠ᩅ, Lao ແມວ (mǣu), Lü ᦶᦙᧁ (maew), Shan မႅဝ်း (méao), Zhuang meuz.
Frequently asked questions
What does mèo mean in English?
mèo (noun) means "cat".
How do you pronounce mèo?
IPA: Hanoi [mɛw˨˩]; Saigon [mɛw˨˩]. Tones: mèo — falling tone (huyền).
What classifier is used with mèo?
Common classifiers: con — for example "một con mèo" (one cat).