鼴 / 鼹
yǎn
In Chinese, the English word 'mole' (the burrowing insectivore) is translated as 鼴 / 鼹 (yǎn). If unsure, use 鼴 / 鼹. Wiktionary also lists 鼴鼠 / 鼹鼠 (yǎnshǔ).
Meaning: burrowing insectivore (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 鼴 / 鼹 | yǎn |
| 鼴鼠 / 鼹鼠 | yǎnshǔ |
The terms provided refer specifically to the small, burrowing mammal. Note that if you are referring to a mole on the skin, the standard formal term is 痣.
What does it mean word for word?
In the two-character forms 鼴鼠 and 鼹鼠, the suffix 鼠 literally means 'rat' or 'mouse'.
Which one should you use?
The single-character form 鼴 / 鼹 is a more concise version, but the two-character forms 鼴鼠 / 鼹鼠 are more commonly used in modern Chinese.
How do you pronounce it?
yǎn
When do people say it?
When discussing a mole on the skin that is considered aesthetically appealing, the informal term 美人痣 is used. This term reflects the Chinese perception of such moles as being alluring.
Did you know?
- The character 鼠 appears in the names of many animals that are not rats, such as the 海鼠 (sea cucumber) or 鼠鹿 (shrew).
- The character 鼴 is a phono-semantic compound. It uses the character 鼠 to signal its meaning as a small mammal and the character 匽 to suggest its sound.
- In Chinese, the suffix 鼠 is used so broadly that it acts more like a biological category label for 'small mammal' rather than strictly meaning 'rat'. This is why a mole, which is not a rodent, is still called a 鼴鼠.
Examples in context
- 我妹妹脸上有个小美人痣。My sister has a small beauty mole on her face.
- 我在考虑去掉我胳膊上的痣。I'm considering removing the mole on my arm.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mole” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 鼴, CC BY-SA 4.0.
