Use 猫 for the common house pet, the small furry animal that lives with people. It signals a friendly, everyday companion, not a wild predator.
Use 猫 for the common house pet, the small furry animal that lives with people. It signals a friendly, everyday companion, not a wild predator.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| 猫が飼う | 猫を飼う |
| 猫は忠実です | 犬は忠実です |
| 猫が走ります | 猫が走る |
| 猫は人を裏切る | 人は猫を裏切る |
Use 猫 for any felid, from tiny wild cats to large predators. This broader sense signals a biological member of the cat family, not a household pet.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| 猫は犬の仲間です | 猫はネコ科の仲間です |
| 猫が野生です | 猫は野生の動物です |
| 猫が生息する | 猫が生息する場所 |
| 猫は狩りをした | 猫は狩りをする |
Use 猫 for the animal, selecting the domestic sense for pets and the broader sense for any felid. The domestic sense signals a friendly household companion, while the broader sense signals a wild or generic member of the cat family.
The word is often confused with 犬, leading to sentences like 猫は忠実です instead of 犬は忠実です.
From the Chinese character 猫, which combines the beast radical with the phonetic component 苗, and the native Japanese reading ねこ.
What does 猫 mean in Japanese?
猫 means a cat, the small furry animal that can be a pet or a wild felid.
How do you write 猫 in kanji?
It is written with the single kanji 猫.
Is 猫 used for wild animals as well as pets?
Yes, 猫 can refer to any felid, from house cats to lions.
What is the difference between 猫 and 犬?
猫 refers to cats, while 犬 refers to dogs; they are different animal families.
How do you say “my cat” in Japanese?
You say 私の猫 (watashi no neko).
Can 猫 be used in idioms?
Yes, expressions like 猫の手 (cat’s paw) use 猫 figuratively.
What are common synonyms for 猫?
Common synonyms include ねこ, ネコ, 家猫, 飼い猫, 子猫, 野良猫, 黒猫, 白猫.
How is 猫 pronounced?
It is pronounced ねこ (ne-ko).
What is the origin of the kanji 猫?
The kanji combines the beast radical with the phonetic component 苗, and the reading ねこ is native Japanese.
Are there plural forms of 猫 in Japanese?
Japanese does not change the word for plural; context shows if there are many 猫.