cat

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 猫 has 11 strokes and means cat, with figurative uses for posture and sensitivity to hot food.
• Basic usage: 猫背 is read ねこぜ, and 猫舌 is read ねこじた.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Posture and hot food
  • 猫背 means a stooped posture. 猫背になりやすい means being prone to adopting that posture.
  • 猫舌 refers to difficulty eating or drinking very hot food or beverages. With 猫舌なので, the speaker explains why they wait for the soup to cool.