Meaning
猫 means cat. Classified at N2, it is still one of the first animal words most learners encounter — ねこ turns up in conversation, proverbs, folklore, and pop culture at every turn. Few animals have worked their way so thoroughly into everyday Japanese life.
The character breaks into two halves. Left side: 犭 (けものへん), a compressed form of 犬 (dog) used broadly to mark mammal kanji. Right side: 苗 (なえ / ビョウ), meaning seedling or sprout. Beyond its meaning, 苗 carries the phonetic weight — it gives rise to the on'yomi ビョウ, which traces back to the ancient Chinese pronunciation of "cat."
There is a quiet visual logic to the pairing. 苗 suggests something small and delicate; 犭 anchors it in the animal world. Picture a cat crouched beside a young green shoot in a garden and the shape starts to feel natural.
Stroke count: 11. 猫 was added to the standard Jōyō list in the 2010 revision — one of the more recent entries to official kanji education in Japan.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is ビョウ (byō). Rooted in ancient Chinese pronunciation, it surfaces in classical or poetic texts but almost never in modern speech. Most learners will go years without hearing it used naturally.
Notably, ビョウ itself sounds like a drawn-out meow — the phonetic form of the character echoes the animal's most recognizable behavior. Treat this reading as background knowledge rather than active vocabulary.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi ねこ (neko) is the reading you will actually use. It covers everyday conversation, compound words, idioms, and set phrases — essentially every context where cats come up in modern Japanese.
- 猫 (neko) — cat
- 子猫 (koneko) — kitten
- 黒猫 (kuroneko) — black cat
- 野良猫 (noraneko) — stray cat
- 飼い猫 (kaineko) — pet cat
Common Words & Compounds
猫 builds a surprising number of compound words and idioms. Here are the most useful ones.
Types of cats:
- 子猫 (koneko) — kitten
- 黒猫 (kuroneko) — black cat
- 白猫 (shironeko) — white cat
- 三毛猫 (mikeneko) — calico cat
- 野良猫 (noraneko) — stray cat
- 飼い猫 (kaineko) — pet cat
Body and behavior:
- 猫舌 (nekojita) — "cat tongue"; someone who cannot eat or drink anything very hot
- 猫背 (nekoze) — a hunched, rounded back; slouched posture like a cat's arched spine
- 猫耳 (nekomimi) — cat ears; also used in manga and anime for characters with feline ears
Culture and idioms:
- 招き猫 (manekineko) — the beckoning cat figurine found in shops and restaurants, thought to bring good luck and customers
- 猫なで声 (nekonadegoe) — a honeyed, coaxing voice used to flatter someone; literally "cat-stroking voice"
- 猫ばば (nekobaba) — pocketing something you found without telling anyone
- 猫かぶり (nekokaburi) — hiding your true nature; playing innocent while concealing your real personality
Example Sentences
私の家には猫が一匹います。
Watashi no ie ni wa neko ga ippiki imasu.
There is one cat in my house.
その猫は黒くて目が大きい。
Sono neko wa kurokute me ga ōkii.
That cat is black with big eyes.
公園で野良猫に餌をあげた。
Kōen de noraneko ni esa wo ageta.
I fed a stray cat at the park.
彼女は猫舌なので、熱いお茶が飲めない。
Kanojo wa nekojita nanode, atsui ocha ga nomenai.
She can't drink hot tea — she has a cat tongue.
招き猫は日本の伝統的な縁起物だ。
Manekineko wa Nihon no dentōteki na engimono da.
The beckoning cat is a traditional Japanese good-luck charm.
あの店員は猫なで声で客を呼び込んでいた。
Ano ten'in wa nekonadegoe de kyaku wo yobikondeita.
That clerk was drawing in customers with a syrupy, coaxing voice.
子猫が箱の中で眠っている。
Koneko ga hako no naka de nemutte iru.
The kitten is sleeping inside the box.
この小説は猫の視点から書かれている。
Kono shōsetsu wa neko no shiten kara kakarete iru.
This novel is narrated from a cat's point of view.
彼は猫背を直すために毎日運動している。
Kare wa nekoze wo naosu tame ni mainichi undō shite iru.
He works out every day to fix his slouch.
Memory Tip
Split the character in two: 犭 (animal) on the left, 苗 (seedling) on the right. Picture a cat sitting beside a small green sprout in a garden — still, watchful, guarding it. The on'yomi ビョウ even sounds like a slow, drawn-out meow. See 犭 next to 苗, recall that garden cat, and ねこ will follow.