How do you use "Cat got your tongue" in a sentence?

What's the matter, cat got your tongue? Well? Cat got your tongue? She's usually so chatty—cat got her tongue.

Cat got your tongue

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

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Meaning: Why aren't you speaking? Said when someone is unusually quiet.

你怎么不说话？当某人异常安静时说的话。

¿Por qué no hablas? Se dice cuando alguien está inusualmente callado.

なぜ話さないの？誰かがいつもと違って静かな時に言う。

왜 말을 안 해? 누군가가 평소와 달리 조용할 때 하는 말.

'Cat got your tongue?' is asked when someone is unexpectedly silent—unable or unwilling to speak. Often teasing, sometimes accusatory. Implies the silence is suspicious or surprising.

'Cat got your tongue?'（猫叼走你的舌头了？）是在某人出乎意料地沉默时问的——无法或不愿说话。通常是开玩笑，有时带有责备的意味。暗示沉默是可疑的或令人惊讶的。

'¿Te comió la lengua el gato?' se pregunta cuando alguien está inesperadamente callado—incapaz o sin ganas de hablar. A menudo en broma, a veces acusatorio. Implica que el silencio es sospechoso o sorprendente.

「Cat got your tongue?」は誰かが予想外に黙っているとき—話せない、または話したくないとき—に尋ねます。からかいの場合もあれば、非難の場合も。沈黙が疑わしい、または驚きであることを示唆します。

'Cat got your tongue?'은 누군가가 예상치 못하게 침묵할 때—말을 못하거나 하기 싫어할 때 묻는 표현이다. 보통 놀리는 투이며, 때로는 추궁하는 뉘앙스가 있다. 침묵이 의심스럽거나 놀라운 경우를 암시한다.

Examples

What's the matter, cat got your tongue?
怎么了，怎么不说话？
¿Qué pasa, te comió la lengua el gato?
どうしたの、猫に舌を取られた？
왜 그래, 할 말이 없어?
Well? Cat got your tongue?
怎么？说不出话来了？
¿Y bien? ¿No tienes nada que decir?
ねえ？何も言えないの？
그래서? 할 말 없어?
She's usually so chatty—cat got her tongue.
她平时那么能说——今天怎么不吭声
Normalmente habla mucho—hoy está callada
いつもはおしゃべりなのに—今日は静かね
그녀는 보통 수다스러운데—오늘은 조용하네.

Pronunciation

/kæt ɡɒt jɔːr tʌŋ/

Usage Guide

Context: silence, teasing, interrogation

Tone: teasing, sometimes accusatory

✓ Do Say

Cat got your tongue?
哑巴了？怎么不说话了？
¿Te ha comido la lengua el gato?
猫に舌を取られたの？
고양이가 혀를 물어갔어?

Common Mistakes

Always phrased as a question

Origin & History

Origins uncertain. Possibly refers to the cat-o'-nine-tails whip, which might render victims speechless with pain. Or simply the absurd image of a cat stealing someone's tongue.

Etymology: Disputed: possibly cat-o'-nine-tails or absurd image

First recorded: 19th century

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Universal expression

Regional notes: English-language universal.

Variations

Cat got your tongue?