Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| चूहा | cūhā | /t͡ʃuː.ɦɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | standard, masculine |
| चुहिया | cuhiyā | feminine | |
| माउस | māus | computing |
चूहा is a masculine noun and covers small rodents in general, so it can also be used for a rat. Its plural is चूहे (cūhe).
Which one should you use?
चुहिया is the feminine form and is used when the animal is a female mouse or when speakers want a smaller, gentler image. For the device that you move beside a keyboard, people simply say माउस rather than चूहा.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because चूहा is masculine, adjectives agree with it: छोटा चूहा (chōṭā cūhā), "small mouse". With a verb in the past tense that has a direct object, the doer takes ने: बिल्ली ने चूहा पकड़ा (billī ne cūhā pakaṛā), "The cat caught a mouse".
How do you pronounce it?
Say चूहा as choo-haa. The first sound is ch as in "chair", the long vowel is held a little longer than in English "too", and the h is clearly pronounced.
When do people say it?
In Hindu tradition the elephant-headed god Ganesha rides a mouse. It is called मूषक (mūṣak) in Sanskrit, and images of Ganesha often show it at his feet.
Did you know?
- In Hindu tradition the god Ganesha rides a mouse, known in Sanskrit as मूषक (mūṣak).
Examples in context
- टॉम ने एक चूहा देखा।Ṭôm ne ek cūhā dekhā.Tom saw a mouse.
- बिल्ली ने चूहा पकड़ लिया।Billī ne cūhā pakaṛ liyā.The cat caught the mouse.
- मेरा माउस काम नहीं कर रहा है।Merā māus kām nahīṁ kar rahā hai.My computer mouse is not working.
Example conversation
Neha hears a noise in the kitchen and asks her brother Ravi what it is.
- Nehaरसोई में कुछ आवाज़ आ रही है।Rasoī meṁ kuch āvāz ā rahī hai.There is some noise in the kitchen.
- Raviशायद कोई चूहा है।Śāyad koī cūhā hai.Maybe it is a mouse.
- Nehaसच में? मुझे चूहों से डर लगता है।Sac meṁ? Mujhe cūhoṁ se ḍar lagtā hai.Really? I am afraid of mice.
- Raviचिंता मत करो, मैं देखता हूँ।Cintā mat karo, maiṁ dekhtā hūṁ.Do not worry, I will have a look.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry चूहा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of .
