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 is used to refer to the rodent of the genus Mus, but it is also the standard word used for a computer mouse.
Which one should you use?
While ratón is the general term for the animal and also refers to a computer mouse, other forms like laucha or pericote are used for the rodent in specific contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
laucha is a colloquial term used in certain regions of South America, such as Chile and Argentina, to refer to a mouse.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of ratón is ratones.
How do you pronounce it?
/raˈton/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, referring to someone as a ratón can be a slang way to call them a snitch or a spy.
- The word ratón replaced the Old Spanish word mur, which was much closer to the English word 'mouse' and the French word 'souris'.
- While ratón is the standard term, the word laucha is a direct loan from the Mapudungun language of the Mapuche people.
Examples in context
- ¡Yo vi un ratón!I saw a mouse!This sentence shows how to express seeing a mouse using ratón.Tatoeba #4627545 by Francisco_M, translation #2406065 by CK
- Tom miró un ratón.Tom saw a mouse.This sentence demonstrates the use of ratón in a simple observational context.Tatoeba #4368500 by pchamorro, translation #2865177 by Amastan
- "Chilla", dijo el ratón."Squeak", said the mouse.This sentence provides an example of a mouse speaking in a narrative using ratón.Tatoeba #5142213 by albrusgher, translation #3367153 by Hybrid
- El ratón de computadora es un dispositivo indispensable hoy en día.The computer mouse is an indispensable device nowadays.
- El mousepad es la superficie donde se mueve el mouse.The mousepad is the surface where the mouse moves.
- ¡No puedo encontrar el mouse de mi computadora! ¿Me ayudas?I can't find my computer mouse! Can you help me?
- El ratón se me quedó sin batería. ¿Tienes pilas?The mouse ran out of batteries. Do you have any?
- 82 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are in the kitchen looking at the floor.
- María¡Mateo, mira ese ratón!Mateo, look at that mouse!
- MateoEs verdad, el ratón es enorme.It's true, the mouse is huge.
- María¿Lo puedes atrapar tú?Can you catch it?
- MateoNo, el ratón es demasiado rápido para mí.No, the mouse is too fast for me.
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.
