野の良ら猫ねこ

の

ら

ね

こ

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Refers to a cat that lives outdoors without a specific owner, often in urban or rural areas. Can carry a slightly rough or independent image.

公こう園えんに野の良ら猫ねこが何なん匹びきか住すみ着ついている。
Several stray cats have taken up residence in the park.
野の良ら猫ねこに餌えさをあげるのは禁きん止しされている。
Feeding stray cats is prohibited.

See all 30 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が野の良ら猫ねこにエサをやるsomeone feeds a stray cat
近きん所じょのおばあさんが毎まい日にち野の良ら猫ねこにエサをやっている。
An elderly woman in the neighborhood feeds the stray cats every day.
野の良ら猫ねこを保ほ護ごするto take in / rescue a stray cat
怪け我がをした野の良ら猫ねこを保ほ護ごして病びょう院いんに連つれて行いった。
I took in an injured stray cat and brought it to the vet.
野の良ら猫ねこが住すみ着つくa stray cat settles/starts living somewhere
公こう園えんに野の良ら猫ねこが数すう匹びき住すみ着ついている。
Several stray cats have settled in the park.
野の良ら猫ねこを追おい払はらうto chase away a stray cat
庭にわに来きた野の良ら猫ねこを追おい払はらった。
I chased away the stray cat that came into my yard.

Kanji

野plains, field, rustic
良good, pleasing, skilled
猫cat

Related words

捨すて猫ねこ
捨て猫 specifically means a cat that was abandoned by a former owner, while 野良猫 more broadly refers to any ownerless cat living outdoors regardless of how it became so.
山やま猫ねこ
野良猫 specifically means a stray cat living among people, while 山猫 more broadly covers wild or feral cats, including distinct wildcat species.

Opposites

飼かい猫ねこ
野良猫 is a cat with no owner living outdoors, while 飼い猫 is a pet cat that has an owner and lives indoors.

Don't confuse with

地ち域いき猫ねこ
野良猫 is simply an ownerless stray with no organized care, whereas 地域猫 is a stray that local residents collectively feed and manage, often through TNR programs.

Counted with

匹ひきN3
counter for small animals · counter for rolls of cloth · archaic counter for horses · roll of cloth

Built from

野の良ら+猫ねこ

Written forms

野の良ら猫ねこUsage77%
Standard kanji spelling; high frequency in news and common usage.
のら猫ねこUsage6%
search-only kanji form
ノラ猫ねこUsage6%
search-only kanji form
ノラネコUsage5%
search-only kana form
Katakana spelling sometimes used for emphasis or in casual contexts.
のらねこUsage3%
Hiragana spelling; common in children's materials or when avoiding kanji.
野の良らネコUsage3%
search-only kanji form

Etymology

Compound of 野良 (のら, 'field' or 'stray') and 猫 (ねこ, 'cat'). The word 野良 originally referred to agricultural fields, and by extension came to describe things that are wild or ownerless.