cat
On'yomi (音読み)
- ミョウ
- ビョウ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- ねこ
About this kanji
The kanji 猫 (neko) means "cat" in Japanese, serving primarily as a noun. Cats are beloved pets in Japan, and this kanji appears in several common compounds. For example, 黒猫 (kuroneko) means "black cat," while 子猫 (koneko) refers to a "kitten." Another interesting term is 猫背 (nekoze), which means "hunched back," resembling the posture of some cats. Additionally, 猫舌 (nekojita) describes someone who is sensitive to hot food, likening it to a cat's reluctance to eat warm meals. Remember that while 猫 is a noun, its compounds can convey different concepts based on context.
Built from
Example sentences
私は猫を飼っている。
I have a cat.
Meanings across languages
- English
- cat
- Tiếng Việt
- mèo
- 日本語
- 猫
- 한국어
- 고양이
- 中文
- 猫
- id
- kucing
- th
- แมว
- es
- gato
- fr
- chat
- de
- Katze
- pt
- gato
Common compounds
- 猫背ねこぜhunched back
- 黒猫くろねこblack cat
- 子猫こねこkitten
- 猫舌ねこじたsensitive to hot food, cannot eat hot food
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.