jiir
masculine
The Somali word for mouse is jiir.
jiir refers to a rodent of the genus Mus.
Meaning: rodent of the genus Mus (noun)
Did you know?
- The word jiir is used in the phrase jiir-jiir to describe the act of sneaking or creeping around quietly.
- The Somali language distinguishes between types of rodents, but jiir is the primary term used for both the house mouse and the rat in casual conversation.
- A 'jiir' is often contrasted with the 'libaax', or lion, in Somali proverbs to highlight the difference between the weak and the powerful.
Examples in context
- Jiir yar ayaa guriga ku jira.A small mouse is inside the house.
- Bisadda ayaa eryanayay jiirka.The cat was chasing the mouse.
- Jiir ayaa cunay cuntadii.A mouse ate the food.
Example conversation
Nimco and Omar are in the kitchen.
- NimcoOmar, ma aragtay jiir halkan?Omar, did you see a mouse here?
- OmarMaya, maxaad u leh?No, why do you ask?
- NimcoWaxaan arkay jiir oo ordaya.I saw a mouse running.
- OmarWaan soo qaban doonaa hadda.I will catch it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mouse” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
