<p>well, in chinese, there's a character 崽 (u+5d3d) which means "infant animal".</p>

<p>so, "貓崽" is kitten, 狗崽 is puppy.</p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=W00000009503" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=W00000009503</a></p>

<p>have fun, tomorrow is caturday 　</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-27T23:41:03.227Z
狗崽 has a negative connotation (as in a cursing word). Few people actually use this word to refer to a puppy. Usually "小狗" is fine.
Ben Yang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-23T12:58:25.417Z
2018-03-23T12:58:25.417Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>Just break the word, for example: "瘦小的猫", "（很）小的猫", or use the word "体型": "体型很小/体型偏小的猫".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-28T09:33:02.100Z
2018-03-28T09:33:02.100Z
Aria Ax
<p>For animals like cats, dogs, there is no ambiguity. In 小猫 or 小狗, the "小" here is understood to mean "young", not "small" since there is no Chinese equivalent of "kitten" or "puppy". </p>

<p>I can think of one animal where 小 is not used to mean young and that is 乳猪, (Rǔ zhū), to mean a piglet, though it is perfectly acceptable to say 小猪, but not often.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-20T09:28:16.907Z
2020-02-20T09:28:16.907Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>I would like advice on how to properly say phrases like
"little kitten", "small cat". While I can say "小猫", as I understand it that either means "kitten", or is ambiguous. And to me saying "小小猫" seems like it could be a little weird (And it also doesn't solve for "small cat")? How are such ambiguities resolved?</p>

<p>An answer that is able to cover not only my specific question about how to say both "small kitten"/"small cat", but also apply to phrases like "big flood" (Because as I understand it "flood" is constructed from "big" + "water", so it would express the same ambiguity), would be very much preferred.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-23T13:38:56.570Z
Colloquially, I would say 小奶猫.
pjhades
<word-choice><ambiguity>
How to say "small cat", when 小猫 is "kitten"?
# How to say "small cat", when 小猫 is "kitten"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-03-23)

I would like advice on how to properly say phrases like
"little kitten", "small cat". While I can say "小猫", as I understand it that either means "kitten", or is ambiguous. And to me saying "小小猫" seems like it could be a little weird (And it also doesn't solve for "small cat")? How are such ambiguities resolved?

An answer that is able to cover not only my specific question about how to say both "small kitten"/"small cat", but also apply to phrases like "big flood" (Because as I understand it "flood" is constructed from "big" + "water", so it would express the same ambiguity), would be very much preferred.

**Tags:** word-choice, ambiguity

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Colloquially, I would say 小奶猫.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-03-23. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

well, in chinese, there's a character 崽 (u+5d3d) which means "infant animal".

so, "貓崽" is kitten, 狗崽 is puppy.

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=W00000009503>

have fun, tomorrow is caturday

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 狗崽 has a negative connotation (as in a cursing word). Few people actually use this word to refer to a puppy. Usually "小狗" is fine.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-03-28. Score: 4

Just break the word, for example: "瘦小的猫", "（很）小的猫", or use the word "体型": "体型很小/体型偏小的猫".


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### Answer by username_5 on 2020-02-20. Score: 1

For animals like cats, dogs, there is no ambiguity. In 小猫 or 小狗, the "小" here is understood to mean "young", not "small" since there is no Chinese equivalent of "kitten" or "puppy".

I can think of one animal where 小 is not used to mean young and that is 乳猪, (Rǔ zhū), to mean a piglet, though it is perfectly acceptable to say 小猪, but not often.


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