جُرَذ
juraḏmasculine
The word for rat in Arabic is جُرَذ (juraḏ). Wiktionary also lists فَأْر (faʔr) and جرز (gerz).
Meaning: rodent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| جُرَذ | juraḏ | masculine |
| فَأْر | faʔr | masculine |
| جرز | gerz | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| جَرْدَون | d͡ʒar do:n, ʒar do:n | North Levantine Arabic |
The term refers to the rodent known as a rat.
Which one should you use?
While جُرَذ is the precise biological term used to distinguish a large rat from a smaller mouse, the word فَأْر is often used colloquially to refer to both mice and rats.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may hear جرز to refer to a rat. In parts of the North Levant, the dialectal term جَرْدَون is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of فَأْر is فِئْرَان (mice/rats).
How do you pronounce it?
juraḏ
Did you know?
- In many Arabic cultures, the word فأر is used in idioms to describe someone who is cowardly or timid, similar to the English phrase 'quiet as a mouse'.
- The term فأر is used for a 'computer mouse' in the Arabic-speaking world, showing that the same metaphorical leap used in English was also adopted in Arabic.
- In some traditional Arabic folk beliefs, the فأر is viewed as a creature of cunning and stealth, appearing in fables as a clever trickster rather than just a pest.
Examples in context
- في المختبر العلمي، رأيت فأراً يجري بسرعة.In the laboratory, I saw a rat running quickly.
- القطة قامت بمطاردة فأرة بالمطبخ.The cat chased a rat in the kitchen.
- رأيت جُرَذًا كبيراً في الحديقة.ra'aytu juradhan kabiran fil-hadiqa.I saw a large rat in the garden.
- هل رأيت أي جُرَذ في المطبخ؟hal ra'ayta ayya juradhin fil-matbakh?Did you see any rat in the kitchen?
Example conversation
Nour and Ahmed are discussing a pest in their house.
- نور Nourأحمد، هل رأيت جُرَذًا هنا؟Ahmed, hal ra'ayta juradhan huna?Ahmed, did you see a rat here?
- أحمد Ahmedلا، لم أرَ أي جُرَذ اليوم.La, lam ara ayya juradhin al-yawm.No, I haven't seen any rat today.
- نور Nourلكنني سمعت صوت جُرَذ في الليل.Lakinani sami'tu sawta juradhin fil-layl.But I heard the sound of a rat at night.
- أحمد Ahmedسأبحث عن هذا الجُرَذ الآن.Sa-abhathu 'an hadha al-juradhi al-an.I will look for this rat now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rat” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
