Katze

German

Alternative forms
  • Katz (chiefly in idioms)
  • Katz'

Etymology

Old High German kazza, earlier *katta from Proto-Germanic *kattuz, 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, female Kätzin, male 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
Declension of Katze
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative eine die Katze die Katzen
genitive einer der Katze der Katzen
dative einer der Katze den Katzen
accusative eine die Katze die Katzen

Antonyms

(female cat):

Hyponyms

(any cat):

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

Hypernyms

(cat):

Derived terms

Further reading

Pennsylvania German

Noun

Katze

  1. plural of Katz
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