子猫
koneko[ko̞ne̞ko̞]
In Japanese, "kitty" is 子猫 (koneko).
子猫 is used as a pet name for a cat of any age. While 猫 (neko) is the standard word for cat in Japanese, 子猫 specifically refers to a kitten or a 'kitty'.
Meaning: pet name for a cat of any age (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 子 (ko), meaning child and 猫 (neko), meaning cat.
Which one should you use?
While 子猫 (koneko) specifically refers to a kitten or a 'kitty', 猫 (neko) is the general term for a cat of any age.
How do you pronounce it?
koneko
When do people say it?
It is common to imitate a cat's meowing sound by saying nyan nyan.
Did you know?
- The Japanese word for 'cat' 猫 is used in the phrase 猫をかぶる, which literally means 'to wear a cat' but actually means to pretend to be innocent or shy.
- The Japanese word for cat, 猫 (neko), is sometimes jokingly referred to by netizens as 'neko-sama' when treating a high-status 'kitty' with extreme reverence.
- If you want to sound particularly cute when talking to a 'kitty', you might add a 'chan' suffix, turning 子猫 into 子猫ちゃん (koneko-chan).
Examples in context
- 吾輩は子猫である。I'm a kitty cat.Tatoeba #10081406 by small_snow, translation #10081200 by shekitten
- 子猫と犬を飼ってます。I have a kitty and a dog.Tatoeba #11029618 by small_snow, translation #10126910 by DJ_Saidez
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are looking at a cat in a pet shop.
- 陽太 Yota見て、あそこに小さい子猫がいるよ。Mite, asoko ni chiisai koneko ga iru yo.Look, there is a little kitty over there.
- 結衣 Yui本当だ！ふわふわでかわいいね。Hontou da! Fuwafuwa de kawaii ne.You're right! It's fluffy and cute.
- 陽太 Yota一緒に遊んでみようか。Issho ni asonde miyou ka.Shall we try playing with it?
- 結衣 Yuiいいよ。子猫に近づいてみよう。Ii yo. Koneko ni chikazuite miyou.Sure. Let's try getting closer to the kitty.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 子猫, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
