Japanese with Manga
Learning through examples in manga

A cat's natural instinct with 本能

Kanji Explanation: Ability and capability with 能

Manga panel from 三ツ星カラーズ showing example of A cat's natural instinct with 本能.
三ツ星カラーズ » Volume 7 » Page 20

Yui and her friends are in their secret base when a pigeon flies in and lands on the table between them. The group’s cat, Colonel Monochrome, leaps after it, but the pigeon escapes.

結衣(ゆい):
「ビックリしたー」
“That surprised me!”
琴葉(ことは):
「大佐(たいさ)が本能(ほんのう)をむき出(だ)しにしたな」
“The Colonel laid bare his instincts.”

Key Points

  1. 本能(ほんのう) is instinct: an inborn ability or drive

    • 本能(ほんのう) combines 本, “original/basic”, with 能, “ability”.

  2. むき出しにした means exposed openly

    • The Colonel’s instinct is described as laid bare when it leaps after the bird.

    • The phrase makes the reaction sound raw and animal-like.

  3. The verb phrase has an object marker

    • 本能(ほんのう)を marks instinct as what the cat exposed.

    • That makes the word the object of the action, not the actor.