What does “koneko” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “koneko” to mean ‘kitten’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “koneko” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “koneko”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “koneko”.
- koneko – 子猫 (こねこ) : a noun meaning ‘kitten’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Native speakers use this noun to refer to a young cat or cats in Japanese.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
What does “koneko” literally mean in Japanese?
The kanji expression of “koneko” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 子 : a kanji character used to mean ‘child’ or ‘kid’ in Japanese.
- 猫 : a kanji character used to mean ‘cat’ in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that “koneko” literally means a ‘child cat’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very close to the actual meaning.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “koneko” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “koneko” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “kitten” in Japanese
watashi wa michi de koneko wo mitsuke ta – 私は道で子猫を見つけた (わたしはみちでこねこをみつけた)
I found a kitten on the street.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- michi – 道 (みち) : a noun meaning ‘street’, ‘road’, or such in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “michi” to say where the speaker found the kitten.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “koneko” to make the object in the sentence.
- mitsuke – 見つけ (みつけ) : one conjugation of the verb, “mitsukeru“, which means ‘to find’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “mitsuke” to make its past tense form, “mitsuke ta”.
This is a typical usage of “koneko”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to become the object in the sentence.
Example #2: another usage of “koneko”
koneko ga totemo kawaii desu – 子猫がとても可愛いです (こねこがとてもかわいいです)
The kitten is very cute.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “koneko” to make the subject in the sentence.
- totemo – とても : an adverb of degree meaning ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘so’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this works in front of “kawaii” to emphasize its meaning.
- kawaii – 可愛い (かわいい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘cute’ in Japanese.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. In the example, this is used after “kawaii” to make it sound polite.
This is another typical usage of “koneko”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “ga”, to become the subject in the sentence. When we want to mean a ‘kitten’ or ‘kittens’ in Japanese, anyway, “koneko” is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “koneko” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- koneko – 子猫 (こねこ) : a noun meaning ‘kitten’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘child cat’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very close to the actual meaning. When we want to refer to a young cat or cats in Japanese, this noun is always a very good option.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
