猫と犬
neko to inu
The phrase "cat and dog" in Japanese is 猫と犬 (neko to inu).
This phrase is used to refer to a feline and a canine animal. To add a friendly and affectionate tone to the nouns, you can add the suffix -chan after the words.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of three parts: 猫 (neko), which means "cat". The particle と (to), which means "and". And 犬 (inu), which means "dog".
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle と is used here to connect two nouns. Note that this particle can only be used to connect nouns and cannot be used to connect verbs or adjectives.
How do you pronounce it?
neko to inu
Did you know?
- While 'cat and dog' is 猫と犬, Japanese speakers use the phrase 犬猿の仲 ('the relationship of a dog and a monkey') to describe two people who hate each other.
- While 'neko' is the standard word for cat, you might encounter the reading 'byō' in formal settings. It appears in the compound word 猫舌 (byōzetsu), which refers to a person with a 'cat tongue' who cannot handle hot food.
- The word for cat 猫 is a pictograph that originally depicted a feline's face and whiskers, while the word for dog 犬 evolved from a drawing of a dog's head.
Examples in context
- 猫と犬の絵を描きました。Neko to inu no e o kakimashita.I drew a picture of a cat and a dog.
- 猫と犬が庭にいます。Neko to inu ga niwa ni imasu.There are a cat and a dog in the garden.
- 猫と犬はどちらが好きですか？Neko to inu wa dochira ga suki desu ka?Which do you like better, cats or dogs?
Example conversation
A girl and a boy are looking at a children's book.
- 陽葵 Himariこの本には猫と犬が出てくるね。Kono hon ni wa neko to inu ga detekuru ne.A cat and a dog appear in this book, don't they?
- 陽太 Yotaそうだね、とても可愛いよ。Sou da ne, totemo kawaii yo.That's right, they are very cute.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太君は猫と犬、どっちが好きなの？Youta-kun wa neko to inu, dotchi ga suki nano?Youta, which do you like more, cats or dogs?
- 陽太 Yota僕は猫と犬の両方が好きだよ。Boku wa neko to inu no ryouhou ga suki da yo.I like both cats and dogs.
