猫をかぶる (nekowokaburu): Japanese Idiom ‘Wear a Cat’

Pronunciation

Definition

Literally, 猫を被る (ねこをかぶる, nekowokaburu) means “wear a cat”. It figuratively indicates the act of putting up a façade and pretending to be nicer than usual. For instance, when a chatty person meets someone for the first time, he/she may 猫を被る (hide oneself) and pretend to be reserved. People also 猫を被る (hide themselves) when they’re dating with someone, and show their true colours once they’re in a relationship. This word is also used to describe a girl who acts cute or coy around guys.

Word Structure

猫を被る consists of the two words “猫ねこ” (neko) and “被かぶる” (kaburu) with a particle “を” (wo) between them. The first word means “cat“, and it is also written as either hiragana “ねこ” or katakana “ネコ“. The second word means “wear” or “put on“. Therefore, 猫を被る literally means “wear a cat”, and it figuratively denotes someone who hides who they really are. The rationale behind the expression is that a cat appears to be very cute, but in fact, can be very aggressive.

Example Sentences

Ex1
いつもはかなりおしゃべりだけど、今日きょうは猫を被って大人おとなしくしていた
Usually I am very talkative but today I was quite, 猫を被って (hiding myself)

Ex2
あの子こ、いつもは悪口わるぐちばっか言いっているのに彼氏かれしの前まえでは猫かぶっているよね。
She is always talking a lot of sh*t, but when she is with her boyfriend, she 猫かぶっている (pretends to be reserved)

See also

List of Japanese Idioms Related to ‘Cats’ (猫, neko)

Synonyms and Related Words

Synonyms: 良いい子こぶる (pretend to be a good person; act obsequiously)
Synonyms in English: hide one’s true colours, hide oneself, put up a façade
Related words and phrases: 猫 ねこ (cat), 被かぶる (wear, put on)