Phrase guide

cat got someone's tongue

phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

phrase

Meaning 1

Why is someone not saying anything?

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous, idiomatic

Examples

  • Why won't you tell me that secret? (Has the) cat got your tongue?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: dilini pişik yeyib? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Catalan: que se t’ha menjat la llengua el gat? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Chinese Mandarin: 你成了啞巴了嗎? /你成了哑巴了吗? (nǐ chéng le yǎba le ma?) — why are you not saying anything?
  • Dutch: ben je je tong verloren? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Finnish: veikö kissa kielesi? — why are you not saying anything?
  • French: tu as perdu ta langue — why are you not saying anything?
  • French: tu as donné ta langue au chat — why are you not saying anything?
  • German: hast du die Sprache verloren? — why are you not saying anything?
  • German: haben Sie die Sprache verloren? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Hungarian: elvitte a cica a nyelved? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Irish: ar chaill tú do theanga? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Italian: il gatto ti ha mangiato la lingua? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Polish: zapominać języka w gębie — why are you not saying anything?
  • Polish: zapomnieć języka w gębie — why are you not saying anything?
  • Portuguese: o gato comeu sua língua — why are you not saying anything?
  • Romanian: ți-a mâncat pisica limba? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Russian: язы́к проглоти́ла? (jazýk proglotíla?) — why are you not saying anything?
  • Russian: язы́к проглоти́ли? (jazýk proglotíli?) — why are you not saying anything?
  • Serbo-Croatian: maca popapala jezik? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Slovak: stratil si reč? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Spanish: ¿te ha comido la lengua el gato? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Swedish: förlora/tappa talförmågan — why are you not saying anything?
  • Turkish: dilini mi yuttun? — why are you not saying anything?
  • Turkish: dilinizi mi yuttunuz? — why are you not saying anything?