"Con mèo": cat words and cat sayings in Vietnamese

"Cat" in Vietnamese is mèo, and in a sentence you'll usually hear con mèo, with con acting as the classifier that goes in front of most animals. A kitten is mèo con, and a cat's meow is meo meo.

Cats are everywhere in Vietnamese life, from street corners to the zodiac, so the language has a lively set of cat words and sayings.

How do you say mèo?

Mèo sounds like "meh-oh" in one syllable with a falling tone (the huyền mark). Keep the pitch dropping gently from start to finish. Without the mark, meo is the sound a cat makes; see Vietnamese animal sounds.

Con sounds like "kawn" with a flat tone. It's grammar, not a separate meaning here. You say con mèo the way English says "a cat" or "the cat." When con comes after the noun, though, it means "baby," so word order matters:

• con mèo: a cat
• mèo con: a kitten

Words for different cats

• Mèo đực ("meh-oh duhk"): male cat, tomcat.
• Mèo cái ("meh-oh kai"): female cat.
• Mèo mun ("moon"): black cat. Mun is the word for ebony.
• Mèo mướp ("muh-up"): tabby. A mướp is a luffa gourd, and the striped pattern is compared to it.
• Mèo tam thể ("tahm teh"): calico, literally "three-colored."
• Mèo vàng ("vahng"): ginger or orange cat; vàng means yellow.
• Mèo hoang ("hwahng"): stray or feral cat.

You may also hear mèo Tây ("tay"), literally "Western cat," for a fancy or foreign-breed cat. Usage varies.

And a few cat verbs:

• Bắt chuột: to catch mice, the classic cat job.
• Kêu meo meo: to meow.
• Liếm lông ("lee-um lohng"): to lick its fur, to groom.

Vietnamese sayings about cats

Cat sayings show how long cats have lived alongside Vietnamese families. Here are some well-known ones and how they're used.

Mèo khen mèo dài đuôi. "The cat praises its own long tail." Used for someone who boasts about themselves or their own work. Gently teasing, like "tooting your own horn."

Mèo mù vớ cá rán. "A blind cat stumbles onto fried fish." Pure dumb luck, when someone gets something good without skill or effort.

Chó treo mèo đậy. "Hang it for the dog, cover it for the cat." Practical old advice on protecting food: dogs can't reach something hung up, but cats can jump, so food has to be covered. It's also used as a general reminder to plan for each risk.

Mèo già hóa cáo. "An old cat turns into a fox." Experience makes people crafty. It can be admiring or wary.

Mèo đến nhà thì khó, chó đến nhà thì sang. "A cat arriving brings hardship; a dog arriving brings wealth." A traditional superstition about stray animals that show up at your door. Plenty of people today ignore it, and cats are popular pets, but you'll still hear it quoted.

There's also mèo mả gà đồng, "graveyard cat, field chicken," a disapproving phrase for people seen as disreputable or for an unapproved couple. It's critical, so use it carefully. Meanings of older sayings can shift by region and generation.

Cats in the Vietnamese zodiac

Vietnam's zodiac has the Cat (Mão or Mẹo) in the place where the Chinese zodiac has the Rabbit. Nobody is fully certain why. The Year of the Cat is a favorite fun fact for people learning about Vietnamese culture; read more in why Vietnam has a Year of the Cat.

Cat names and nicknames

Pet cats in Vietnam often get cute food or color names, like Mướp for a tabby, Mun for a black cat or Bông ("cotton") for a fluffy one. For ideas, see Vietnamese pet names for cats and dogs.

Four cats who speak Vietnamese

Duma Meow, an original Vietnamese 2D cartoon comedy, stars four cats: deadpan Maelis, flustered Corin, wildcard Seraph and always-prepared Luna. They speak short Vietnamese lines like Haizz (Sigh), Ủa? (Huh?) and Lúc nào cũng sẵn sàng (Always ready). You can find them on the Voiceover with jimwest405 channel.

Next time you see a cat, try naming its coat in Vietnamese: mèo mun, mèo mướp or mèo tam thể.