Cats phrases and words in Japanese
Cats are woven into Japanese culture at every level — from the beckoning lucky cat figurines in shop windows to the cat islands tourists visit to the thriving cat café scene. The Japanese language reflects this obsession with a set of cat idioms that have moved from folk wisdom into everyday speech: they describe deception, overwhelming busyness, unexpected meekness, wasted gifts, and lightning-fast change. Several of these expressions are among the most commonly used idioms in modern Japanese, recognised by every speaker regardless of age.
11 phrases · meanings & example sentences
“猫をかぶる”
Wearing a cat — putting on a false front; hiding your real personality behind a sweet, innocent, or polite facade to deceive others. The image is of literally wearing a cat like a mask. Said of anyone whose charming exterior conceals a very different character underneath. One of the most commonly used expressions in everyday Japanese, applicable in school, office, and romantic contexts alike.
- 面接のときは猫をかぶって礼儀正しくしていたが、入社後は全然違う人間だった
- 彼女は初対面の人の前では猫をかぶるタイプで、素の性格を知るのに時間がかかる
- 「また猫かぶってる」と友達に言われて、思わず笑ってしまった
“猫の手も借りたい”
I'd borrow even a cat's paw — so overwhelmingly busy that you'd accept help from absolutely anyone, even a cat whose paws aren't much practical use. The standard Japanese expression for being completely swamped and understaffed. Heard constantly in busy seasons at restaurants, retail, and offices, and understood instantly by every Japanese speaker.
- 年末は猫の手も借りたいほど忙しくて、毎晩終電だった
- 新店オープン直前は猫の手も借りたい状況で、バイトを三人追加した
- 「猫の手も借りたい」と上司に言ったら、翌日から応援が来た
“借りてきた猫”
A borrowed cat — unusually quiet, well-behaved, and subdued in a way that's completely out of character, like a cat in an unfamiliar home that sits still and causes no trouble. Said of someone acting suspiciously meek compared to their usual self, often because they're nervous, being watched, or trying to make a good impression. Implies the quietness won't last.
- あんなにうるさい子が、校長先生の前では借りてきた猫みたいに大人しかった
- 彼氏の両親に挨拶するとき、彼は借りてきた猫になってた
- 普段あれだけ意見を言う人が、その会議では借りてきた猫だった
“猫に小判”
Gold coins to a cat — giving something precious, rare, or sophisticated to someone who has no ability to appreciate or use it. Koban is the oval gold coin of Edo-period Japan; a cat has no concept of its value. The Japanese equivalent of pearls before swine. Used for wasted quality, wasted expertise, or wasted effort on someone who simply can't appreciate what they've been given.
- 高級ワインを持って行ったのに、全員ビール派だった。猫に小判だった
- そのフィードバックは猫に小判だよ — 彼は何を言っても聞かないから
- 最高の席を取ったのに彼はずっとスマホを見ていた。完全に猫に小判
“猫ばば”
Cat grandmother — quietly pocketing something that should be returned or reported; keeping a found item instead of giving it back; concealing a mistake rather than owning up to it. The origin is murky — one theory links it to a cat covering its droppings — but the usage is clear and common. Used for low-level, private, somewhat shameless self-serving behaviour that stays hidden.
- 財布を拾ったのに交番に届けず猫ばばしたらしい
- 経費の余りを猫ばばしていたのがバレて、大問題になった
- そのミス、猫ばばしようとしてたでしょ。ちゃんと報告しなきゃ
“猫の目のように変わる”
To change like a cat's eyes — shifting rapidly and unpredictably, the way a cat's pupils dilate and contract in an instant. Used for policies, prices, moods, weather, or people that change without warning and without apparent logic. The cat's eye is the perfect metaphor for change that is both instantaneous and somehow natural-looking.
- この会社の方針は猫の目のように変わるから、ついていくのが大変だ
- 彼女の機嫌は猫の目のように変わるので、朝の様子を見てから話しかけることにしている
- 市場の状況が猫の目のように変わっていて、昨日の判断が今日は通用しない
“招き猫”
The beckoning cat — the ceramic lucky cat figurine that raises one paw to wave in good fortune, customers, and success. Present in nearly every shop, restaurant, and office in Japan, it has become a metaphor for any person or thing that genuinely attracts customers, luck, or positive energy just by being present. Applied to a naturally charming salesperson, a popular product, or anyone who brings success without trying.
- 彼女が店頭に立つと客が増える。本物の招き猫みたいな存在だ
- あの新商品は完全に招き猫で、発売と同時に売上が倍になった
- そのキャラクターは会社の招き猫的な存在で、ロゴに使われるほどになった
“猫に鰹節”
Katsuobushi near a cat — leaving something irresistible unguarded near someone who cannot possibly resist taking it. Katsuobushi (dried bonito shavings) is the ultimate cat temptation in Japanese food culture. Used for any situation where you've placed an irresistible temptation where it shouldn't be, or trusted someone with something they were bound to misuse.
- 甘いもの好きの彼にケーキを管理させるなんて、猫に鰹節だよ
- お金の管理を彼にまかせるのは猫に鰹節じゃないかと思っていた
- 貴重な資料をそこに置いておくのは猫に鰹節。案の定、誰かが持ち出した
“猫パンチ”
Cat punch — the quick, light, batting swipe of a cat's paw. Used for a light, playful jab — physical or verbal — that's not really serious and carries more mischief than malice. The term crossed from pet owner vocabulary into internet culture and mainstream Japanese speech, and is now used for any small, fast, teasing hit or comment that stings just a little.
- 彼女は冗談を言いながら軽く猫パンチしてきた
- そのコメント、猫パンチみたいな軽さで言ってたけど、ちょっと刺さった
- プレゼン後に「惜しかったね」と一言。優しい猫パンチだった
“猫も杓子も”
Cats and ladles too — absolutely everyone, without exception; the whole lot of them. Shakushi (a ladle) is an unrelated household item included to emphasise the all-encompassing nature of 'everyone'. Used when pointing out that some trend, behaviour, or situation has swept up every single person, leaving no exceptions. Slightly exasperated in tone.
- 最近は猫も杓子もスマホを持っている
- あのカフェがオープンしたら猫も杓子も並んでいて、一時間待ちだった
- 猫も杓子もSNSをやっている時代に、彼だけアカウントがない
“夜の猫は豹になる”
At night the cat becomes a leopard — someone who is mild and unassuming in the daytime transforms into something bolder, wilder, and more formidable after dark. Used for the classic split between someone's public daytime self and their after-hours character: the quiet colleague who comes alive at parties, the shy person who becomes fearless at night.
- 昼間はおとなしいのに、夜の猫は豹になるタイプで、飲み会で全然違う顔を見せる
- 彼女は仕事中は控えめだけど、舞台に上がると夜の猫は豹になる
- 夜の猫は豹になるって言うけど、彼のことはまさにそれだと思う
