Entry
にゃー
nyaa
にゃー is the Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound a cat makes, equivalent to the English word meow.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
In Japanese, にゃー mimics the vocalization of a cat. It is the standard equivalent to meow and is widely used when describing feline sounds or when imitating cats in playful or anime contexts.
- Cat's meow
- Imitating a cat
Sense Map
Animal Sound (Meow)
The natural vocalization produced by a cat.
猫がにゃーと鳴く。
Playful Imitation
Used by humans imitating cats, often to sound cute or playful.
子供がにゃーと言って遊ぶ。
Usage Note
How to Use
にゃーと鳴く
Uses the quotation particle と followed by 鳴く (to cry/make a sound) to mean to meow.
にゃーという声
A noun modification pattern meaning the sound of a meow.
How to Use
Common Phrases
にゃーと鳴く
to meow
にゃーという声
the sound of a meow
にゃーと甘える
to meow affectionately
大きな声でにゃー
a loud meow
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Describing real animals | neutral | Used objectively to report that a cat made a sound. |
| Roleplay or cutesy behavior | positive | Adopted by people in playful contexts to appear cute, frequently seen in anime tropes. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
わん わん / opposite | Used for the sound a dog makes (woof/bark). | にゃー is strictly for cats, while ワン is for dogs. | 犬がワンと鳴く。 |
にゃん にゃん / similar | A cutesier variant, heavily used in pop culture and as a character speech tic. | にゃー is more of a literal sound effect, whereas にゃん is often integrated into cute speech patterns. | 猫ちゃんがにゃんと鳴く。 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using にゃー as the word for cat itself.
Always use 猫 (neko) to refer to the animal. にゃー only refers to the sound.
Forgetting the particle と when using it with verbs.
It should be connected to verbs with と, as in にゃーと鳴く.
Examples
Examples
お腹を空かせた野良猫が、足元でにゃーと鳴いた。
おなかをすかせたのらねこが、あしもとでにゃーとないた。
A hungry stray cat meowed at my feet.
LiteralDescribes the sound of a real cat.
ドアを開けると、飼い猫が「にゃあ」と出迎えてくれた。
ドアをあけると、かいねこが「にゃあ」とでむかえてくれた。
When I opened the door, my pet cat greeted me with a meow.
LiteralUses the spelling variant にゃあ.
彼女は猫の耳をつけて、可愛く「にゃー」と言った。
かのじょはねこのみみをつけて、かわいく「にゃー」といった。
She put on cat ears and cutely said meow.
FigurativeA human imitating a cat sound.
窓の外から小さな声でにゃーと聞こえてきた。
まどのそとからちいさなこえでにゃーときこえてきた。
I heard a faint meow coming from outside the window.
LiteralA sound heard from a distance.
その大きな黒猫は、「にゃお」と低く鳴いた。
そのおおきなくろねこは、「にゃお」とひくくないた。
That big black cat let out a low meow.
LiteralUses the variant にゃお to suggest a deeper or specific kind of meow.
Similar Words
ワン
wan
Dog bark sound.
にゃん
nyan
Cuter and often used in pop culture.
Questions
What is the difference between にゃー and にゃん?
Both mean meow, but にゃん (nyan) is often considered cuter and is frequently used as a suffix in anime speech, while にゃー is the standard sound.
Is にゃー written in hiragana or katakana?
Both are correct. Katakana (ニャー) is common for sound effects in comics, while hiragana (にゃー) is common in standard text and literature.
Does the length of the line matter?
Yes, the long vowel mark (ー) mimics the drawn-out sound of a meow. Removing it makes the sound abrupt.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 1632330
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
- Previous entry
- にっこり (nikkori)
- Next entry
- はあはあ (haahaa)