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What is the Kanji for 'Cat'? | 猫

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Cat', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Cat' is 猫.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Cat

    Reading

    kunyomiねこ

    neko

    onyomiびょう

    byou

    Parts

    Seedling

    Example Word

    猫: cat. The Japanese noun '猫 (ねこ)' means 'cat'. This word refers to the domestic feline animal, commonly kept as a pet. It can be used in various contexts, such as describing a pet, talking about cats in general, or even in idiomatic expressions. For example: I have a cat「猫を飼っています」(ねこをかっています). The cat is sleeping「猫が寝ている」(ねこがねている). Cats are cute「猫はかわいい」(ねこはかわいい). The word '猫' is straightforward and widely used in everyday conversation.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    11

    JLPT

    N3

    Grade

    9

    Frequency

    1031

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    component

    kanji

    Meaning

    Seedling

Words Using

This kanji is used in 1 word:

    word

    Meaning

    Cat

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 7 kanji contain the part 犭 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Alone

    kanji

    Meaning

    Crime

    kanji

    Meaning

    Waver, Delay

    kanji

    Meaning

    Hunting

    kanji

    Meaning

    Fierce

    kanji

    Meaning

    Monkey

    kanji

    Meaning

    Aim

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 猫 mean?

猫 means 'Cat'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Senior Highschool, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N3 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.