猫舌
Meanings
1
dislike of hot food/drink; inability to eat/drink hot things; cat tongue
Describes a person who cannot tolerate very hot food or drink and must wait for it to cool down. The literal gloss 'cat tongue' is a direct translation of the kanji and is sometimes used in English explanations, but the core meaning is the sensitivity to heat.
I have a cat tongue, so I let hot coffee cool down for a while before drinking it.
He has a cat tongue and isn't good at eating hot ramen.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉は猫舌だto describe someone as unable to tolerate hot food/drink
He's got a 'cat tongue,' so he can't drink hot tea.
- 猫舌なので〈動詞〉because one is sensitive to heat, (does something, like waiting for food to cool)
Because I have a 'cat tongue,' I wait for food to cool before eating.