Cat in Japanese: 猫 (neko) — writing, readings, words
Cat in Japanese is 猫 (neko), 11 strokes. Japanese has no separate words for cat and kitten: 猫 means both. Kitten is 子猫 (koneko). The cat's 'meow' sounds like ニャー (nyā), hence the 'nya' in anime. On the left of the character is the 'animal' radical 犭.
The Japanese cat doesn't meow — it says 'nya'. Hence 猫舌 (nekojita), 'cat tongue': this is what they call a person who can't eat hot food. Cats in this language have spread into idioms further than in Russian.
How to write 'cat' in Japanese
猫 — значение: cat, cat — онъёми: ビョウ — кунъёми: ねこ — 11 штрих(ов). 11 strokes. Click 'Show order' — the strokes will go as in handwriting.
What the character consists of
On the left is 犭, the 'animal' radical (a compressed form of 犬 'dog'). It stands for most quadrupeds: 狐 (fox), 狼 (wolf), 猿 (monkey). On the right is the part responsible for the reading. The word is often written in kana: ネコ or ねこ, especially in signs and advertisements.
Cat words and expressions
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 猫 | neko · neko | Cat |
| 子猫 | koneko · koneko | Kitten |
| 猫舌 | nekojita · nekojita | One who doesn't eat hot food (literally 'cat tongue') |
| 招き猫 | manekineko · manekineko | Cat that beckons good fortune (the figurine with a raised paw) |
| 猫背 | nekoze · nekoze | Stoop ('cat back') |
| ニャー | nyā · nyā | Meow |
| 猫の手も借りたい | neko no te mo karitai · neko no te mo karitai | So busy that even a cat's paw would do |
Cat or she-cat — how to specify
猫 itself doesn't indicate gender. If you need to specify, you say オス猫 (osu-neko) — male cat, メス猫 (mesu-neko) — female cat. In everyday life this is hardly used: a Japanese person usually just needs to say the name.
Write 猫 yourself
Trace the character along the guides — the system will evaluate each stroke.
FAQ
- How do you say 'cat' in Japanese?
- 猫 (neko). There is no separate word for cat and she-cat — 猫 means both. Kitten is 子猫 (koneko).
- What does 'neko' mean?
- It means 'cat'. The word is familiar from 'neko-mimi' (cat ears) and 'maneki-neko' — a cat figurine with a raised paw that beckons good fortune and money.
- How do Japanese cats say 'meow'?
- ニャー (nyā) or ニャンニャン (nyan-nyan). Hence 'nya' as an interjection of cuteness in anime culture.
- How do you call a black-and-white cat in Japanese?
- Black-and-white coloring is 白黒 (shirokuro) or 八割れ (hachiwari) for the characteristic 'mask'. Names are often given by coloring: Kuro (black), Shiro (white), Tora (tiger-striped).
Updated: 2026-07-25