ratón
/raˈton/masculine
The Spanish word for mouse is ratón. Wiktionary also lists laucha and pericote.
Meaning: rodent of the genus Mus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ratón | /raˈton/ | masculine |
| laucha | /ˈlaut͡ʃa/ | feminine |
| pericote | /peɾiˈkote/ | masculine |
The term ratón refers to the rodent of the genus Mus. It is also the standard and commonly used term across most Spanish-speaking countries to refer to a computer mouse.
Which one should you use?
While ratón is the general term for the animal and the standard term for a computer mouse, other forms may be used depending on the region or context.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions of Latin America, such as the Southern Cone, the colloquial term laucha is used to refer to a mouse. In Spain, the specific term ratón de bola is used to refer to the older style of computer mouse that utilized a rolling plastic ball.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of ratón is ratones.
How do you pronounce it?
/raˈton/
Did you know?
- The word ratón can be used as a slang term in some regions to describe a person who is stingy or unwilling to spend money.
- The term laucha used in the Southern Cone is not native to Spanish but was borrowed from Mapudungun, the language of the Mapuche people of Chile and Argentina.
- Depending on the country, calling a rodent a pericote instead of a ratón can change the perceived species from a house mouse to a larger field mouse or a specific local variety.
Examples in context
- ¡Yo vi un ratón!I saw a mouse!This sentence is useful for expressing that you saw a ratón.Tatoeba #4627545 by Francisco_M, translation #2406065 by CK
- Tom miró un ratón.Tom saw a mouse.This sentence is useful for describing that Tom saw a ratón.Tatoeba #4368500 by pchamorro, translation #2865177 by Amastan
- "Chilla", dijo el ratón."Squeak", said the mouse.This sentence is useful for showing a quote from a ratón.Tatoeba #5142213 by albrusgher, translation #3367153 by Hybrid
- 82 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are in their kitchen during the night.
- Sofía¡Daniel, mira ese ratón!Daniel, look at that mouse!
- Daniel¡Es un ratón muy pequeño!It is a very small mouse!
- SofíaEl ratón corre hacia la despensa.The mouse is running towards the pantry.
- DanielDebemos atrapar al ratón pronto.We must catch the mouse soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mouse” translations and entries ratón, laucha, pericote, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries laucha, pericote, ratón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
