YATABE Kumiko
Nekojita - Cat's Tongue (A person who cannot eat hot foods)

Japanese food has a lot of hot food, which people with cat's tongues cannot eat. Yatabe sensei is one of them, and introduces this problem in this Japanese language blog.

Nekojita - Cat's Tongue (A person who cannot eat hot foods)

This Japanese teacher’s blog by YATABE Kumiko sensei is a great way to study natural Japanese expressions. You can read, listen, and learn useful vocabulary from a short essay written in everyday Japanese.


Read Natural Japanese in Context:Nekojita - Cat's Tongue (A person who cannot eat hot foods)

猫舌

nekojita

冬がやってきました。夏の間は冷たい食べ物ばかり食べていましたが、この時期になるとやはり温かいものが食べたくなります。

鍋物やラーメンなど、熱い食べ物をフーフーしながら食べるのが好きな人は多いですが、これは欧米の文化にはないことだと読んだことがあります。 でも、日本にも、熱いものが苦手な人はもちろんいます。そういう人のことを猫舌といいます。猫は熱いものが食べられないからそう呼ぶのでしょうが、実際は熱いものを好んで食べる動物は人間以外にはいないでしょう。

私は残念ながら猫舌で、熱いものが少し冷めるまで食べられません。夫と一緒にラーメンを注文すると、私が熱くて食べられないときに、彼は平気で食べています。私は無理して熱いうちに食べると、すぐ口の中を火傷してしまいます。

火傷をする温度は誰でも同じはずなのに、なぜこのような個人差があるのか、とても不思議です。

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猫舌ねこじた

ふゆやってきましたなつあいだつめたいものばかりべていましたが、この時期じきになるとやはりあたたかいものが食べたくなります。

鍋物なべものやラーメンなど、あつい食べ物をフーフーしながら食べるのが好きなひとおおいですが、これは欧米おうべい文化ぶんかにはないことだとんだことがあります。 でも、日本にほんにも、あついものが苦手にがてな人はもちろんいます。そういう人のことを猫舌ねこじたといいます。ねこあついものが食べられないからそう呼ぶのでしょうが、実際じっさいあついものをこのんで食べる動物どうぶつ人間にんげん以外いがいにはいないでしょう。

わたし残念ざんねんながら猫舌ねこじたで、あついものがすこめるまで食べられません。おっと一緒いっしょにラーメンを注文ちゅうもんすると、わたしあつくて食べられないときに、かれ平気へいき食べています。私は無理むりして熱いうちに食べると、すぐくちなか火傷やけどしてしまいます。

火傷やけどをする温度おんどだれでもおなじはずなのに、なぜこのような個人差こじんさがあるのか、とても不思議ふしぎです。

English Translation for Understanding

Nekojita - Cat's Tongue (A person who cannot eat hot foods)

Winter has come. I ate cold foods very often during this summer, but in this season,I feel like having warm food. Many people like to eat hot food such as nabe or raamen while blowing on them, but I have read that it is not very common in Western culture. But even in Japan, of course, there are some people who are not very good at eating hot food. We call those people "nekojita" (or people with cat's tongues). It's because cats cannot eat hot food, but in fact, no living creatures except human eat hot food by choice, I guess.

Unfortunately, I have "nekojita", so I cannot start to eat until the food gets a little cooler. If my husband and I order raamen at the same time, while I cannot eat it because it is too hot, he eats it without any hesitation. If I force myself to eat it, I easily burn the inside of my mouth.

I really wonder why it varies between individuals like this even though the temperature that burns skin must be the same for everyone.

This Week’s Key Vocabulary

やってくる come

時期じきseason, time

鍋物なべもの winter cuisine served in a pot

フーフーする blow (a food to cool it)

実際じっさいは in fact, actually

このんで by choice

以外いがい except, other than

猫舌ねこじた a person who cannot eat hot foods (舌 tongue)

平気へいきで without hesitation

無理むりする force oneself, try hard

火傷やけど burn

個人差こじんさ individual difference

不思議ふしぎ mystery, strangeness

Meet the Teacher

YATABE Kumiko
YATABE Kumiko
Japanese Language Teacher

Although my Japanese teaching experience has been solely at Japonin(JOI), I have worked with many students over the years.
In 2012, I launched a dedicated listening practice class (now called LRC) to help learners who struggle with listening comprehension due to limited exposure to natural, spoken Japanese. The class has been very well received by many students.

Experience and Qualifications

  • BA, Department of Japanese Painting, Tama Art University
  • Completed the NAFL Japanese Teacher Training Program
  • Passed the Japanese Language Teaching Competency Test

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