The Cat Man

The Cat Man

Once upon a time, there was a martial artist who was nicknamed “Cat Man.”
( / Once upon a time, there was a martial artist who had the nickname "Cat Man.” )
People called him "Cat Man" because he looked like a cat in both his appearance and behavior.

One morning, the man had a coffee at Starbucks. However, the coffee was too hot and he had to wait over ten minutes before he could drink it. His tongue was very sensitive, like a cat.

After having a coffee, the man had his haircut at a beauty salon. A young, female technician said to the man, "Wow! You have very soft hair, like a cat! I like it!" “May I treat you to a cup of coffee?" said the man, in his sweet cat like voice.

In the evening, he trained with his sparring partner. (/ That evening, he trained with his sparring partner.) He always started by standing in his unique form. He formed both his hands and legs like a cat. He had learnt this form from a karate master.

(I updated this English version based on many suggestions from Jo, one of my language partners. Thanks, Jo!)

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猫男

ある時、「猫男」というあだ名で呼ばれる格闘家がいた。人々は、彼の外見や振る舞いの両面を見て、彼のことを「猫男」と呼んだのであった。

ある朝、男は、スタバでコーヒーを嗜んでいた。ところが、コーヒーが熱すぎて、彼がそれを飲めるようになるまで、十分以上も待たなければならなかった。彼は猫舌であった。

コーヒーを飲み終えてから、彼はヘアカットの為、美容院に行った。若手の女性美容師が言った。「わー!　猫毛ですね!　私、こういうの好きなんですよ!」男が、猫撫で声で言った。「コーヒーでも奢りましょうか。」

夕方になると、彼は、スパーリングパートナーと一緒に汗を流した。彼は、スパーリングを始めるにあたっては、いつも独特な立ち方で構えた。それは、猫足立ちと言って、両手足をまるで猫のように構えた。彼は、この構えを空手の師範から習ったのであった。

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ある時、「猫男」というあだ名で呼ばれる格闘家がいた。

Once upon a time, there was a martial artist who was nicknamed “Cat Man.” / Once upon a time, there was a martial artist who had the nickname "Cat Man.”


ある時 (あるときぬ) : a certain time, once upon a time (This is an expression sometimes used at the beginning of a story.)

猫男 (ねこおとこ) : the Cat Man, the nickname of a man in this story

「猫男」という : to be called "Cat Man" (verb), Someone is called "Cat Man".

あだ名 (あだな) / ニックネーム : a nickname

「猫男」というあだ名 : the nickname "Cat Man"

呼ぶ (よぶ) : to call someone or something (verb)

呼ばれる (よばれる) :to be called (verb)

あだ名で呼ぶ : to call someone by his or her nickname (verb)

あだ名で呼ばれる : to be called by your nickname (verb)

格闘 (かくとう) : a fight, fighting (noun)

格闘家 (かくとうか) : a fighter, a martial artist (noun)

いる。: There is a person or an animal.

いた。: There was a person or an animal.

格闘家がいた。: There was a martial artist.

あだ名で呼ばれる格闘家 : a martial artist who is/was called by his/her nickname. (noun clause)

人々は、彼の外見や振る舞いの両面を見て、彼のことを「猫男」と呼んだのであった。

People called him "Cat Man" because he looked like a cat in both his appearance and behavior.


人々 (ひとびと) : people

彼 (かれ) : he/his/him

外見 (がいけん) : your appearance (noun)

振る舞い (ふるまい) : your behavior (noun)

外見や振る舞い : your appearance and behavior, your appearance or behavior (depends on if the sentence is positive or negative)

猫男 (ねこおとこ) : the Cat Man, the nickname of a man in this story

両面 (りょうめん) : both of them, both sides

外見や振る舞いの両面 : both your appearance and behavior

見る (みる) : to see, to watch, to look at someone or something (verb)

見た。(みた) : You saw it. You watched it. You looked at him/her/them/it.

人々は見た。: People saw it.

人々は彼の外見を見た。: People saw his appearance.

人々は彼の振る舞いを見た。: People saw his behavior.

人々は見て、.... : People saw it and/then/so ......

彼のこと : about him

猫男 (ねこおとこ) : Cat Man, the nickname of the man in this story

呼ぶ (よぶ) : to call someone or something (verb)

呼んだ。(よんだ) : You called someone or something.

「猫男」と呼んだ。: You called someone "Cat Man."

であった。: This is/was the situation which I am telling you now. (This part is not used by itself. You can use this expression when you finish a statement.)

ある朝、男は、スタバでコーヒーを嗜んでいた。

One morning, the man had a coffee at Starbucks.


ある朝 (あるあさ) : one morning

男 (おとこ) : a man, the man

スタバ / スターバックス : Starbucks ("スタバ" is a casual expression.)

スタバで : at Starbucks

コーヒー / 珈琲 (こーひー) : coffee

嗜む (たしなむ) : to enjoy (verb)

珈琲を嗜む : to have a coffee (verb, You probably love coffee.)

タバコを嗜む : to smoke (verb, You probably love cigarettes.)

釣りを嗜む (つりをたしなむ) : to enjoy fishing (verb, You probably love fishing.)

珈琲を嗜んでいた。: You had a coffee.

ところが、コーヒーが熱すぎて、彼がそれを飲めるようになるまで、十分以上も待たなければならなかった。

However, the coffee was too hot and he had to wait over ten minutes before he could drink it.


ところが : however, but

コーヒー : coffee

熱い (あつい) : hot (adjective)

コーヒーが熱い : The coffee is hot.

コーヒーが熱すぎる。: The coffee is too hot.

コーヒーが熱すぎた。: The coffee was too hot.

コーヒーが熱すぎて、..... : The coffee was too hot and/then/so .......

彼 (かれ) : he/his/him

飲む (のむ) : to drink (verb)

それを飲める。: You can drink it.

ようになる : You will get into such a situation or condition.

それを飲めるようになる。: Eventually you will be able to drink it.

ようになるまで :until you will be able to do it

十分 (じゅっぷん) : ten minutes

十分 (じゅうぶん) : enough

以上 (いじょう) : more than that, longer than that

十分以上 (じゅっぷんいじょう) : over ten minutes

十分以上 (じゅうぶんいじょう) : more than enough

待つ (まつ) : to wait (verb)

十分待つ (じゅっぷんまつ) : to wait for ten minutes (verb)

十分待つ (じゅうぶんまつ) : to wait for a time which is enough (verb)

十分以上待つ (じゅっぷんいじょうまつ) : to wait over ten minutes (verb)

十分以上待つ (じゅうぶんいじょうまつ) : to wait for a time which is longer than enough (verb, This expression will not be used very often.)

なければ : if you don't do it then

ならない : It is not good. It is not acceptable. It is bad.

なければならない : You must do it. You have to do it.

なければならなかった。: You had to do it.

待たなければならない。: You must wait.

待たなければならなかった。: You had to wait.

彼は猫舌であった。

His tongue was very sensitive, like a cat.


猫舌 (ねこじた) : a tongue which is too sensitive to hot temperatures (noun clause), someone who cannot have a hot drink or eat hot food because his or her tongue is too sensitive (noun clause), literally "a cat's tongue"

であった。: It was in such a situation or condition.

コーヒーを飲み終えてから、彼はヘアカットの為、美容院に行った。

After having a coffee, the man had his haircut at a beauty salon.


コーヒー : coffee

飲む (のむ) : to drink (verb)

コーヒーを飲む : to have a coffee (verb)

終える (おえる) : to end, to finish, to complete (verb)

飲み終える : to drink up a coffee (verb)

コーヒーを飲み終える : to finish your coffee (verb)

コーヒーを飲み終えてから : after having a coffee

彼 (かれ) : he/his/him

ヘアカット : a haircut (noun)

為 (ため) : a reason, a purpose, because of such a reason, for such a purpose

ヘアカットの為 : for you to have your haircut (purpose)

美容院 (びよういん) : a beauty salon (noun)

病院 (びょういん) : a hospital (noun, Please pay attention to a small hiragana 'ょ'.)

行く (いく) : to go (verb)

行った。(いった) : You went.

美容院に行った。/ 美容院へ行った。: You went to a beauty salon.

彼は行った。: He went.

彼は病院に行った。/ 彼は病院へ行った。: He went to a hospital.

ヘアカットの為、美容院へ行った。: You had your haircut at a beauty salon. (literally "You went to a beauty salon because you wanted to have your hair cut." We often combine a purpose and then "行った". In this sentence, "ヘアカットの為" is the purpose, then "行った" is the action he took.)

若手の女性美容師が言った。「わー!　猫毛ですね!　私、こういうの好きなんですよ!」

A young, female technician said to the man, "Wow! You have very soft hair, like a cat! I like it!"



若手 (わかて) : a young person, young people (This expression is often used by older people.)

女性 (じょせい) : female (gender), a woman (person)

美容師 (びようし) : a technician who works at a beauty salon (noun)

言う (いう) : to say, to tell (verb)

言った。(いった) : You said. You told.

わー! : Wow!

猫毛 (ねこげ) : very soft hair like a cat, cat like hair

ですね! : It is, isn't it? You do it, don't you?

私 (わたし) : I/my/me

こういうの : something like this

好き (すき) : You like it. You love it.

なんですよ。: It is. I do it. (casual, spoken expression)

好きなんですよ! : I like it! (casual, spoken expression)

こういうの好きなんですよ! : I like something like this! (casual, spoken expression)

男が、猫撫で声で言った。「コーヒーでも奢りましょうか。」

“May I treat you to a cup of coffee?" said the man, in his sweet cat like voice.


男 (おとこ) : a man, the man

猫撫で声 (ねこなでごえ) : a soft and sweet voice, literally "cat like voice"

言う (いう) : to say, to tell (verb)

言った。(いった) : You said. You told.

男が言った。: The man said. The man told.

猫撫で声で言った。: You said in your sweet cat like voice.

コーヒー : coffee

コーヒーでも : something to drink such as coffee

奢る (おごる) : to treat someone to something such as a meal, a coffee, etc. (verb)

ましょうか。: May I?

奢りましょうか? : May I treat you to it?

コーヒーを奢る : to treat someone to a coffee (verb)

コーヒーを奢りましょうか? : May I treat you to a cup of coffee?

コーヒーでも奢りましょうか? : May I treat you to a cup of coffee or something?

夕方になると、彼は、スパーリングパートナーと一緒に汗を流した。

In the evening, he trained with his sparring partner. (/ That evening, he trained with his sparring partner.)


夕方 (ゆうがた) : evening (noun), in the evening (adverb)

なる : to become (verb), to reach (verb)

夕方になると : in the evening

彼 (かれ) : he/his/him

スパーリング : sparring

パートナー : your partner

スパーリングハートナーと : with your sparring partner

一緒に (いっしょに) : together (adverb)

汗 (あせ) : sweat

流す (ながす) : to drain, to pour, to let something flow (verb)

汗を流す : to sweat (verb), to train (verb)

スパーリングハートナーと一緒に汗を流した。: You trained with your sparring partner. (So, you probably sweat a lot.)

彼は流した。: He drained something.

彼は、スパーリングを始めるにあたっては、いつも独特な立ち方で構えた。

He always started by standing in his unique form.


彼 (かれ) : he/his/him

スパーリング : sparring

始める (はじめる) : to start, to begin (verb)

あたって : as you do it, when you do it

始めるにあたって : as you begin it, as you start it

彼は始めるにあたって : as he begins it, as he began it

スパーリングを始めるにあたって : as you begin sparring

いつも : always

独特な (どくとくな) : unique (adjective)

立つ (たつ) : to stand (verb)

立ち方 (たちかた) : how you stand (method), your standing form (form)

構える (かまえる) : to form, to take a fighting stance, to make something ready to
use (verb)

独特な立ち方 : the unique standing form

独特な立ち方で構える : to stand in a unique form (verb)

彼は構えた。: He took a fighting stance.

彼はいつも独特な立ち方で構えた。: He always stood in his unique form.

それは、猫足立ちと言って、両手足をまるで猫のように構えた。

He formed both his hands and legs like a cat.


それ : it, that

猫 (ねこ) : a cat

足 (あし) : a foot, a leg, feet, legs

立つ (たつ) : to stand (verb)

猫足立ち (ねこあしだち) : Nekoashidachi, one of Karate fighting stances

言う (いう) : to say, to tell, to be called (verb)

猫足立ちと言う : to be called "Nekoashidachi." (verb), People call it "Nekoashidachi." It is called "Nekoashidachi."

言った。(いった) : You said. You told.

それは猫足立ちと言った。: It was called "Nekoashidachi."

それは猫足立ちと言って、.... : It was called "Nekoashidachi," and/then ......

両手 (りょうて) : both your hands

両足 (りょうあし) : both your feet/legs

両手足 (りょうてあし) : both your hands and legs

まるで猫のように : exactly like a cat

構える (かまえる) : to form, to take a fighting stance, to make something ready to use (verb)

構えた。: You took a fighting stance.

猫のように構えた。: You took a fighting stance like a cat.

彼は、この構えを空手の師範から習ったのであった。

He had learnt this form from a karate master.


彼 (かれ) : he/his/him

構え (かまえ) : a fighting stance (noun)

この構え : this form

空手 (からて) : Karate

師範 (しはん) : a master, a teacher who teaches something special which is connected to Japanese culture, for example, Karate, Judo, Japanese flower arrangement, Japanese style calligraphy (noun)

空手の師範 : a Karate master (noun)

習う (ならう) : to learn (verb)

習った。(ならった) : You learnt.

空手の師範から習った。: You learnt it from a Karate master.