[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards]
借りてきた猫のよう
“like a borrowed cat”
(as shy and quiet as a kitten)
If a cat has a distant and aloof personality even within its own home, imagine how remote it would act in a strange place. The expression describes a shy, timid person who is not at home in his surroundings.
Sample text:
(Style: spoken/casual/female)
A: Asobi ni kiteiru Takahashi-san no tokoro no Masao-kun, tottemo otonashii n da te?
B: Soo rashii wa ne. Uchi de wa genki sugite komatteru rashii kedo, yoso no uchi de wa karite kita neko no yooni otonashii n datte.
A: 遊びにきてる
B: そうらしいわね。うちでは元気すぎて困ってるらしいけど、よそのうちでは借りてきた猫のようにおとなしいんだって。
A: I hear the Takahashi’s boy Masao is visiting, but he’s really quiet.
B: That’s what I hear. He’s almost hyperactive and troublesome at home, but in someone else’s home, he’s as shy and quiet as a borrowed cat.
Japanese Idioms
