In today’s blog post, I will tell you how to say “cat” in Japanese. Since there are a couple of words that can be used, you will get to know the meaning, translation, and kanji of the 5 most commonly used Japanese words for “cat“. But first, let’s start with a quick answer.
The word neko (猫) is the basic and most commonly used word for “cat” or “cats” in Japanese. Less often Japanese people might also use the word ieneko (家猫), which means “house cat”, or kaineko (飼い猫), which translates as “pet cat”.
Below you can find out the detailed definition of the words I just introduced and the 2 other ways to say “cat” in Japanese. You will also get to know the Japanese word for “kitten” before we move on to some advanced words and simple sentences such as “black cat“, “lucky cat“, and “I love my cat“.
How to Say “Cat” in Japanese
- neko – 猫
- ieneko – 家猫
- kaineko – 飼い猫
- kyatto – キャット
- koneko – 子猫
1. Neko – Basic Way to Say “Cat” in Japanese
The basic and most common way to say “cat” or “cats” in Japanese is neko (猫). It is usually written in kanji, but it can also be written in hiragana as ねこ or in katakana as ネコ. In most situations, this is the word you want to use to say cat in Japanese.
neko
猫
cat
2. Ieneko – Translates as “House Cat”
The word ieneko (家猫) is another word for cat that can be translated as “cat“, “domestic cat“, “house cat“, or “indoor cat“. It consists of the kanji and word for house, which is 家, and the kanji for cat, which is 猫. However, I have never heard any of my friends use this word in daily conversations.
ieneko
家猫
house cat
3. Kaineko – Translates as “Pet Cat”
Kaineko (飼い猫) is the official term for “pet cat” in Japanese. The first part 飼い comes from the verb kau (飼う) which translates as “to keep (a pet or animal)” or “to have“. Similar to kaiinu (飼い犬), one of the Japanese words for “dog”, it can be used to distinguish pet cats from other cats.
kaineko
飼い猫
pet cat
P.S. Stray cats are called noraneko (野良猫), noneko (野猫), or suteneko (捨て猫) in Japanese, while wildcats are called yamaneko (山猫).
4. Kyatto – English Loanword Meaning “Cat”
The English loanword for “cat” is kyatto (キャット). As all imported words it is written in katakana only and not rather rarely used in Japanese to refer to cats. However, it is often found in related words such as catwalk (kyatto wooku, キャットウォーク) and catfood (kyatto fuudo, キャットフード) for example.
kyatto
キャット
cat
5. Koneko – Means “Kitten” in Japanese
Koneko (子猫) means “kitten” in Japanese, but can also be translated as “small cat“. The first part and kanji of the word, 子, means “child” or “young” and the second part and kanji, 猫, means “cat“ – as we have already discussed. So the literal translations would be “child cat” or “young cat”.
koneko
子猫
kitten
Advanced Words & Phrases For “Cat” in Japanese
- black cat – 黒猫
- white cat – 白い猫
- scaredy cat – 弱虫
- lucky cat – 招き猫
- fat cat – 太った猫
- I have a cat – 猫を飼っている
- I love my cat – 私の猫が大好き
Black Cat – Kuroneko
Kuroneko (黒猫) is the Japanese word for “black cat“. The first part kuro (黒) means “black“ and the latter part neko (猫) means “cat“. I have always wondered why a black dog is called kuroi inu (黒い犬) in Japanese, but a black cat is called kuroneko (黒猫). If anyone knows, please let me know.
black cat
黒猫
black cat
There are a lot of Japanese songs with the title Kuroneko aka “Black Cat“. One of them is this song from the Japanese band Acid Black Cherry, which is called Kuroneko ~Adult Black Cat~. It’s very catchy so check it out!
White Cat – Shiroi Neko
Shiroi neko (白い猫) is how you say “white cat” in Japanese. The first word shiroi (白い) means “white” and like any other i-adjective and most colors it can be added before a noun to say “white (noun)“. A “white kitten” would be shiroi koneko (白い子猫) in Japanese.
shiroi neko
白い猫
white cat
Scaredy Cat – Yowamushi
The English expression “scaredy cat” in Japanese is yowamushi (弱虫). However, it has nothing to do with cats. Literally translated the Japanese word means “weak insect” or “weak worm“. The first part 弱, translates as “weak” or “little“, and the latter part 虫 translates as “insect“, “bug“, or “worm“.
yowamushi
弱虫
scaredy cat
Lucky Cat – Maneki Neko
Maneki neko (招き猫) is the name of the cat figures with one pow raised and translates as “lucky cat” or “beckoning cat“. The first part, maneki (招き), actually means “invitation” and not “luck“, but the cat is believed to bring good luck to the owner (source).
maneki neko
招き猫
lucky cat
Fat Cat – Futotta Neko
Futotta neko (太った猫) translates as “fat cat” or “chubby cat“. The verb futoru (太る) means “to put on weight” or “to gain weight“. Futotta (太った) is the past tense form which is commonly used to describe someone or something as chubby. The word debu (デブ) can also be used but is considered very rude.
futotta neko
太った猫
fat cat
I Have a Cat – Neko o Katteiru
Neko o katteiru (猫を飼っている) is how you say “I have a cat” or “I own a cat” in Japanese. The expression “…o katteiru” (〇〇を飼っている) is the common way to say that you have or own an animal, and the verb kau (飼う) can also be translated as “to keep“.
Neko o katteiru.
猫を飼っている。
I have a cat.neko o kau
猫を飼う
keep a cat
I Love My Cat – Watashi no Neko ga Daisuki
Watashi no neko ga daisuki (私の猫が大好き) means “I love my cat“. In order to say “my cat” in Japanese you can use the expression “watashi no neko” (私の猫). After that, we have ga (が), which is the object particle, and the word daisuki (大好き), which means “like a lot” or “love” in Japanese.
Watashi no neko ga daisuki.
私の猫が大好き。
I love my cat.
