うちの ねこOur Cat's Secret

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What you'll learn

The narrator introduces their cat Chiro, who returns home holding a neighbor's sock, prompting the owner to laughingly suspect Chiro is a 'thief cat.'

Key vocabulary

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～ている N5Used to show an ongoing action or state.
  くちになにかくわえています。
• ～てくる N4Indicates an action directed towards the speaker, or coming back from a certain place.
  あるあさ、ちろがかえってきました。

Cultural notes

• Dorobou Neko (Thief Cat)In Japan, outdoor roaming cats that bring home small objects (like laundry, toys, or fish) are comically and traditionally referred to as 'dorobou neko' (thief cats). It is a common trope in Japanese pop culture and anime.

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Topics & grammar

Short Storyanimalshome〜ているte iru · ongoing action / state〜てくるte kuru · come to / start to (toward speaker)