Spanish word

miar

Pronunciation

IPA/mjaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbmeow

Example

Anoche un gato mió cerca de mi casa.

A cat meowed near my house last night.

Illustration for miar (meow)

More examples

El gato de la vecina empezó a miar al anochecer.

The neighbor's cat began to meow at dusk.

Core concept

A cat giving a single short 'miau' cry.

Common phrases

  • empezar a miar

    begin to meow

  • ponerse a miar

    begin meowing

Similar words

maullar: General meow vocalization used by cats as a habitual or communicative cry.
ronronear: Low, continuous rumbling purr produced by vibrating the throat.
sisear: Thin, sharp hissing sound made with a sibilant 'sh' noise.
ladrar: Short, strong bark produced as a forceful canine vocalization.

Definition in Spanish

Producir o emitir el sonido 'miau' propio de un gato; verbo que representa directamente la onomatopeya felina.

Word origin

From the onomatopoeic miau, turned into a verb in Spanish and cognate with French miauler and Italian miagolare.

Usage tips

  • Often used in writing or imitation to represent one brief meow; for the habitual or general action speakers prefer maullar.

Opposites

  • callarsefall silentverb

Word lists with this word