1.
cat
A small domesticated feline.
猫を飼っている。
I have a cat.
猫が窓の外を見ている。
The cat is looking outside the window.
黒い猫が庭を歩いていた。
A black cat was walking through the garden.
うちの猫は人が好きで、誰にでもすぐ近づいていく。
Our cat loves people and goes right up to anyone.
子どもの時に拾った猫をずっと大切にしていて、もう十年も一緒に暮らしている。
I've been taking good care of a cat I found as a child, and we've been living together for ten years now.
猫 means cat—the common domesticated feline.
TYPES OF CATS:
- 子猫: kitten
- 野良猫: stray cat
- 飼い猫: pet cat
- 黒猫: black cat
- 三毛猫: calico cat
CAT-RELATED WORDS:
- 猫舌: sensitive to hot food (lit. 'cat tongue')
- 猫背: hunched back, slouching
- 招き猫: beckoning cat (lucky charm)
IDIOMS:
- 猫の手も借りたい: so busy I'd borrow even a cat's paws
- 猫をかぶる: to hide one's true nature (play innocent)
- 猫に小判: casting pearls before swine
CULTURAL NOTE:
Cats are popular in Japan—猫カフェ (cat cafés) are common, and cats appear often in anime and merchandise.