猫がかわいい
neko ga kawaii
In Japanese, "the cat is cute" is said as 猫がかわいい (neko ga kawaii).
This phrase is used to describe a cat as having an endearing or attractive appearance. You can use kono to say "this" when identifying a specific cat, such as in the phrase Kono neko kawaii ne.
What does it mean word for word?
The word neko means "cat".
Which one should you use?
You may encounter variations like Neko kawaii yo or Kono neko kawaii ne in casual settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The subject marker ga can often be omitted in casual conversation, resulting in Neko kawaii. To make the phrase negative and say "the cat is not cute", change the adjective kawaii to its negative form kawaikunai.
How do you pronounce it?
neko ga kawaii
Did you know?
- While kawaii means 'cute', it is phonetically very similar to kowai, which means 'scary'. A slight change in vowel length and tone completely flips the meaning from endearing to frightening.
- Calling an adult woman kawaii can be a more powerful compliment than calling her 'beautiful' because it suggests a charming vulnerability.
- The Japanese concept of 'cuteness' is so pervasive that it has moved beyond mere adjectives to become a massive subculture with its own museums and government mascots.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are looking at a cat in a window.
- 健太 Kenta見て、あの猫がかわいいよ。Mite, ano neko ga kawaii yo.Look, that cat is cute.
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ、すごくかわいいね。Hontō da, sugoku kawaii ne.You're right, it's very cute.
- 健太 Kenta一緒に触ってみようか。Issho ni sawatte miyō ka.Shall we try to pet it together?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、そうしよう。Un, sō shiyō.Yes, let's do that.
