‘Do You Have a Cat Tongue?’ – Japanese Phrases Featuring Cats

Cats are popular animals all over the world. In Japan, cats are so popular that we have so many expressions that have cats in them.

Learning these phrases can be an interesting way to learn Japanese, and if you use them in a conversation, I am sure you can impress native speakers!

Karite Kita Neko (借りてきた猫) – ‘Borrowed Cat’

Meaning: Someone who is suddenly quiet and meek (especially when they are meant to be speaking up).

Cats are territorial, but they often don’t know how to behave outside of their territory. During Edo period, people were using cats to hunt mice. If you didn’t have a cat in your house, you would borrow one from your neighbour only to find out the borrowed cat suddenly gets quiet.

Example:

まさ君くんはいつもはうるさいのに、先生せんせいの前まえでは借かりてきた猫ねこのように静しずかだ。

Masa is always noisy / annoying but in front of the teacher he’s quiet as mice.

Neko Jita (猫舌) – ‘Cat Tongue’

Meaning: People who can’t handle hot food or drink.

Cat’s are not good at dealing with hot food or drink.

Example:

これが熱あついですか？猫舌ねこじたですね。

Is this hot for you? You must have a ‘cat tongue’.

Neko No Hitai (猫の額) – ‘Cat’s Forehead’

Meaning: A tiny area

Cats have bigger eyes and ears relative to the face. Cats’ forehead is so small compared to their eyes and ears.

Example:

私わたしのアパートのベランダは猫ねこの額ひたいほどの狭せまさです。

The veranda in my apartment is as small as a cat’s forehead.

Neko Ze (猫背) – ‘Cat’s Back’

Meaning: Hunchback

Cats have an arched back so you can refer to people with one as 猫背.

Example:

猫背で姿勢が悪いですよ。

You have a hunched back and bad posture.

Neko Ni Koban (猫に小判) – ‘A Gold Coin to a Cat’

Meaning: Casting pearls before swine

小判こばん refers to a small valuable oval coin used in the Edo period. Cats don’t understand how valuable 小判s are, so this phrase means offering something valuable to someone who don’t understand its value.

Example:

私わたしの娘むすめにビートルズのアルバムをあげても猫ねこに小判こばんだろう。

Giving the Beatles album to my daughter would be casting pearls before swine.

Neko No Te Mo Karitai (猫の手も借りたい) – ‘Want’s to Borrow a Hand Even From a Cat’

Meaning: Extremely busy

During Edo period, cats were seen as a useless animal except when they need to hunt mice. They started using this phrase to express they are so busy that they have to borrow a hand from a seemingly useless animal.

Example:

期限きげんが迫せまっているから今いまは猫ねこの手ても借かりたいほど忙いそがしい。

The deadline is approaching, so now I am extremely busy.

Neko Nade Goe (猫撫で声) – ‘Cat-stroking voice’

Meaning: Soft, coaxing voice

Have you noticed your voice changes when you stroke your beloved cat? Neko Nade Goe (猫撫で声) refers to that voice.

Example:

あの人ひとは頼たのみ事ごとをする時ときだけは猫ねこ撫なで声ごえで話はなしてくる。

That person uses soft voice only when she asks for something.

Nako O Kaburu (猫を被る) – ‘Wearing a Cat’

Meaning: To hide one’s true character and to feign friendliness

Cats have pretty appearance but they can be quite fierce time to time. This phrase suggests someone is behaving differently, usually more quiet, innocent, nicer and friendly than how they normally behave. It is used for when one sees their romantic partner, or their parents, or someone with a higher social status.

Example:

あの人ひとは上司じょうしの前まえではいつも猫ねこをかぶっている。

That person always feigns innocence in front of her superior.

Neko Baba (ネコババ) – ‘Cat’s Poop’

Meaning: To feign ignorance of one’s wrongdoing, especially stealing

糞 means ‘poop’ and this phrase was derived from how cats cast sand to cover their poop.

Example:

彼かれは彼女かのじょの百円ひゃくえんをネコババした。

He stole her 100 yen.

Neko Ni Matatabi (猫にまたたび) – ‘Catnip for Cats’

Meaning: One’s favourite item, extremely effective

The whole phrase is 猫ねこにまたたび、お女郎じょろうに小判こばん (neko ni matatabi, ojoro ni koban), which translates to ‘catnip for cats, gold coins for prostitutes’. The phrase means that everyone has their favourite. 

Example:

泣ないている子供こどもにこのキャンディーをあげると、まさに猫ねこにまたたびだ。

If you give this candy to a crying child, it stops like a magic.