Step into the quirky world of a nameless cat who observes human life with sharp wit and endless curiosity. Our retelling of Sōseki Natsume's classic 'I Am a Cat' is adapted for intermediate Japanese learners (CEFR B1) so you can enjoy a genuine literary experience without frustration.
This interactive graded reader lets you tap on any word for instant help, listen to the full story audio, and read without interruptions. Along the way, you'll pick up useful vocabulary, practice natural sentence structures, and deepen your understanding of Japanese culture-all while being thoroughly entertained.
私の名前は猫です。でも、人間は私に「おい」とか「そこの猫」と呼びます。私はある夜、を歩いていて、この家の主人に。
主人は先生です。学校で英語を教えています。家に帰ると、いつもをしています。
「ああ、は本当にんだよ」と彼はを言います。
彼はに入って、すぐに。私は「先生もずいぶんだなあ」と思います。
ところが、彼が寝ている間に、私は彼のに乗ってみました。。
すると、先生は急に、「なんだ、猫か！」と言いました。私は「ニャ」とだけ。
ある日、の奥さんが。「先生、お宅の猫がうちの庭でをしているんですけど」と言いました。
先生は私を見て、「おい、それはか？」と聞きました。私はをしました。
奥さんが帰った後、先生は私に言いました。「トイレは」と。でも、私は「だって外の方がんだもん」と思います。
時間があるとき、先生はでを作ります。彼のはカレーです。
「ちょっとなあ」と言いながら、彼はたくさん食べます。私はでじっと見ています。
すると、先生は「お前も食べるか？」と私にをくれます。私は嬉しくて、。
こんな風に、私と先生の毎日は。人間と猫ではが全然違いますが、のは悪くないです。
My name is Cat, but people call me 'Hey' or 'that cat.' I was walking in the rain one night when the master of this house picked me up.
The master is a teacher. He teaches English at school. When he comes home, he always looks tired.
"Ah, the students are really noisy," he mutters to himself.
He gets under the kotatsu and falls asleep right away. I think, "The teacher is quite a lazy one."
However, while he's sleeping, I try sitting on his head. It's warm and feels good.
Then the teacher suddenly wakes up and says, "What, it's the cat!" I just meowed "Meow."
One day, the neighbor lady came to visit. She said, "Teacher, your cat is doing its business in my garden."
The teacher looked at me and asked, "Hey, is that true?" I pretended not to know.
After the lady left, the teacher told me, "Don't do your business outside." But I think, "But it feels better outside."
When he has time, the teacher cooks in the kitchen. His specialty is curry.
Saying "It's a bit salty," he eats a lot. I watch intently from under the table.
Then the teacher says, "Want a bite?" and gives me some meat. I'm happy and wag my tail.
This is how the teacher and I spend our days. Humans and cats think very differently, but living together isn't bad.
This story gives us the world through a cat's eyes-and that means some wonderfully everyday words. Let's pick out a few that you'll meet again and again in casual Japanese.
Notice how the cat calls the human 主人 (しゅじん, master/owner). It's a word that shows a traditional, slightly old-fashioned household relationship. And when the cat describes the teacher as 怠け者 (なまけもの, lazy person), it's a gentle, feline insult that's common in talk.
- 猫 (ねこ) - cat. Simple, but the story plays with the idea that the cat has no real name.
- コタツ - a low, heated table; a winter staple in Japan. The teacher falls asleep in it, which is very realistic!
- しっぽを振る (しっぽをふる) - to wag one's tail. Typically for dogs, but cats do it too when happy.
- 知らん顔 (しらんかお) - to pretend not to know; literally 'don't-know face'. A perfect phrase for a cat's aloof response!
The story's charm lives in its casual narration. The cat uses very informal, often masculine-leaning patterns, while the teacher's speech shifts between grumbling monologues and direct commands.
One standout pattern is the explanatory んだ (or んです) in the teacher's line 「うるさいんだよ」. This んだ adds a 'you see…' or 'the thing is…' tone. Compare with the cat's 〜もん in 「気持ちいいんだもん」-here もん is a childish or cute way to give a reason, like 'because it feels good, so there!'
- 〜んだよ / 〜んです - explanatory tone; casual/formal. Often used to justify or explain.
- 〜なあ - a sentence-ending particle for reflection or monologue, e.g., 「怠け者だなあ」(He's so lazy…). It softens the statement.
- 独り言 (ひとりごと) - talking to oneself. The whole story is the cat's 独り言, delivered in plain form.
- 〜もん - informal sentence-ender (often feminine/childish) giving a reason with a hint of defiance. Not for formal use.
Beyond the grammar, the story shows a very Japanese household: the kotatsu nap, the neighbour's complaint, the homemade curry. Even the cat's cheeky attitude mirrors a cultural love for observing human quirks.
When the neighbour says 「お宅の猫」 (your household's cat), it's a respectful phrase. The teacher's 「おい、それは本当か？」 to the cat is blunt but typical of how people speak to pets-as if they're slightly naughty children. The cat's response, 「ニャ」, is the ultimate non-answer: just enough to be polite?
- お宅 (おたく) - polite 'your home/family'. Used in neighbourly small talk.
- Blameless indirectness: 知らん顔 is a classic way to dodge responsibility without confrontation.
- The cat's inner thought 「悪くないです」 means 'not bad'-a common understatement that downplays actual contentment.
Try writing a short diary entry from the point of view of a pet you know-or imagine. Use plain/casual forms, sprinkle in some 〜なあ or 〜もん to sound reflective.
To go further, listen for んだ and なあ in anime or drama dialogues. Notice how characters use them to reveal personality. A small grammar particle carries a lot of character-just like a cat.
I Am a Cat comes from the Japanese / Natsume Sōseki tradition and is best known as a satirical novel. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on Natsume Sōseki, 1905–1906; public domain, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.
Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. The original audience was usually adult/general, but this version is adapted for B1 Intermediate learners studying Japanese. Retell as cat-narrator episodes; avoid modern translations.
If you want to look into the source tradition, start with Project Gutenberg.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our Japanese section and review the Geography Vocabulary in Japanese. After that, try Japanese Question Words for another useful next step.
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