Arvaa eläin: kuka sanoo miau?

Why do Finns call cats with “kis-kis” instead of “kitty-kitty”?

Different languages call cats with different sounds. English speakers say “here, kitty-kitty” or “puss, puss.” French speakers say “minou-minou.” Finnish speakers reach for kis-kis (sometimes kisuli-kisuli), a short, hissing-soft sound that real Finnish cats apparently respond to. The word kissa (“cat”) shares the same root, so calling kis-kis is essentially saying “cat-cat.” Finnish kids learn the call before they learn most other animal sounds.

This clip is a children’s animal-guessing game: the host gives a hint that the animal “starts with kis and says miau.” The kids guess kissa immediately. The riddle works because kis-kis and kissa are bound together in Finnish ears from toddler age onward.