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gatto

cat

noun GAHT-toh Rare

Origin: From Late Latin cattus, of disputed origin, possibly African.

Usage Note

Gatto is masculine; the feminine is gatta. The plural is regular: i gatti. The colloquial diminutive gattino ('kitten') is extremely common. The idiom qui gatta ci cova ('the cat is brooding here') means 'something fishy is going on', a useful phrase for intermediate learners.

Examples

"Il mio gatto dorme tutto il giorno sul divano."

Natural Translation

My cat sleeps all day on the sofa.

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