犬を飼っています
inu o katte imasu
To say "I have a pet dog" in Japanese, you say 犬を飼っています (inu o katte imasu).
This phrase is used to state that you keep a dog as a companion animal at home. It specifically indicates that you own and care for a dog as a pet, rather than just seeing one or owning a dog-shaped object. You can explicitly add ペットの (petto no) before 犬 to emphasize that it is a pet, as in ペットの犬を飼っています, though the standard phrase 犬を飼っています already implies this.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 犬 (inu), meaning dog. を (o), which is the object marker. And the verb 飼っています (katte imasu), meaning keeping or raising.
Which one should you use?
For animals kept as companions, you must use the verb 飼っています (katte imasu).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you want to be even more explicit about the dog being a pet in a formal context, you can say Watashi wa petto no inu o katte imasu. In informal settings, particularly among males, you might use Ore wa inu o katte iru, where Ore is a masculine and informal way to say "I".
How do you pronounce it?
inu o katte imasu
Did you know?
- In Japanese, if you use the verb 持つ (motsu), which means 'to hold' or 'to possess', to say you have a dog, it sounds as if you are physically holding the animal in your hands.
- While 犬 (inu) is the standard word for dog, many Japanese pet owners colloquially use the loanword ワンちゃん (wan-chan) to refer to dogs, imitating the sound a dog makes.
- There is a cultural concept called 犬の年 (inu no toshi) or the 'Year of the Dog'. In these years, some believe that owning a dog brings extra luck to the household.
Examples in context
- 家で犬を飼っています。Ie de inu o katte imasu.I have a dog at home.
- 私は小さい犬を飼っています。Watashi wa chiisai inu o katte imasu.I have a small dog.
- 実家では犬を飼っていますか？Jikka de wa inu o katte imasu ka?Do you have a dog at your parents' house?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their pets at a cafe.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さんは犬を飼っていますか？Misaki-san wa inu o katte imasu ka?Misaki, do you have a dog?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、とても可愛い犬を飼っています。Hai, totemo kawaii inu o katte imasu.Yes, I have a very cute dog.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいですね！私も犬を飼っています。Ii desu ne! Watashi mo inu o katte imasu.That's nice! I have a dog too.
- 美咲 Misaki本当ですか？大翔さんの犬も見たいです。Honto desu ka? Hiroto-san no inu mo mitai desu.Really? I want to see Hiroto's dog too.
