rat
/rɑt/feminine
The English word "rat" is rat in Dutch. If unsure, use rat. Wiktionary also lists bruine rat and rioolrat.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| rat | /rɑt/ | feminine |
| bruine rat | /ˌbrœy̯nə ˈrɑt/ | feminine |
| rioolrat | /riˈoːlˌrɑt/ | feminine |
| zwarte rat | feminine |
The word rat refers to the rodent.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word rat is a feminine noun. It takes the definite article de (the rat) or the indefinite article een (a rat). The plural form is ratten.
How do you pronounce it?
/rɑt/
Did you know?
- The Dutch word ratten appears in the expression rattenzooi, which describes a huge, chaotic mess.
- In Dutch, if you call someone a rat, you are not just calling them a rodent, but implying they are a traitor or a person without honor.
- The root of rat is found in Old High German as 'rato', showing how this specific word has remained remarkably stable across centuries of Germanic evolution.
Examples in context
- De rat is bruin.The rat is brown.This sentence is useful for describing the color of the rat.Tatoeba #13894014 by Tom9358, translation #13045030 by araneo
- De kat at de rat.The cat ate the rat.This sentence is useful for describing an action involving a rat.Tatoeba #7779520 by Rubrick, translation #7779325 by sharris123
- Hij ziet een rat.He sees a rat.This sentence is useful for describing the act of seeing a rat.Tatoeba #14017913 by doemaar14, translation #14016874 by rul
- Ik zag gisteren een rat.I saw a rat yesterday.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Noah are looking at a garden.
- JuliaKijk, daar loopt een rat!Look, a rat is running there!
- NoahWat een grote rat is dat.That is quite a large rat.
- JuliaIk vind die rat echt eng.I really find that rat scary.
- NoahGeen zorgen, hij gaat weer weg.Don't worry, it is going away again.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rat” translations and entries rat, bruine rat, rioolrat, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bruine rat, rat, rioolrat, zwarte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
