花栗鼠
huālìshǔ
The English word chipmunk is translated into Chinese as 花栗鼠 (huālìshǔ).
花栗鼠 is a noun used to refer to the chipmunk, a type of rodent.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The name is composed of 花 (huā, flower/patterned), 栗 (lì, chestnut) and 鼠 (shǔ, rodent/mouse).
How do you pronounce it?
huālìshǔ
Did you know?
- The character 鼠 (shǔ) is also the name of the first animal in the Chinese Zodiac.
- The character 花 (huā) in this name does not mean a literal flower, but refers to the decorative stripes or 'flowery' patterns on the animal's fur.
- If you were to describe a pet chipmunk as 'cute' in Chinese, you might use the word 萌 (méng), a term popular in internet slang borrowed from Japanese culture.
Examples in context
- 那只花栗鼠很可爱。Nà zhǐ huālìshǔ hěn kě'ài.That chipmunk is very cute.
- 花栗鼠正在吃坚果。Huālìshǔ zhèngzài chī jiānguǒ.The chipmunk is eating nuts.
- 我想要养一只花栗鼠。Wǒ xiǎng yào yǎng yì zhǐ huālìshǔ.I want to raise a chipmunk.
Example conversation
Wei and Jiayi are walking in a park.
- 伟 Wei佳怡，快看那边！Jiāyí, kuài kàn nàbiān!Jiayi, look over there!
- 佳怡 Jiayi是什么？一只花栗鼠吗？Shì shénme? Yì zhī huālìshǔ ma?What is it? A chipmunk?
- 伟 Wei对，它在跑呢。Duì, tā zài pǎo ne.Yes, it is running.
- 佳怡 Jiayi它看起来真快。Tā kàn qǐlái zhēn kuài.It looks really fast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chipmunk” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
