鼠
nezumi[ne̞zɨmʲi]
The Japanese word for rat is 鼠 (nezumi). Wiktionary also lists ラット (ratto) and 熊鼠 (kumanezumi).
Meaning: rodent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 鼠 | nezumi | [ne̞zɨmʲi] (narrow) [ne̞zɨ] (narrow) |
| ラット | ratto | [ɾa̠t̚to̞] (narrow) |
| 熊鼠 | kumanezumi | [kɯ̟ma̠ne̞zɨmʲi] (narrow) |
The term 鼠 is the most common and general term for a rat in Japanese. While written with the kanji 鼠, it is very frequently written in hiragana as ねずみ in general contexts.
Which one should you use?
鼠 is the general term for the animal, whereas the katakana loanword ラット is typically used in scientific, medical or laboratory contexts to refer specifically to laboratory rats.
How do you pronounce it?
nezumi
Did you know?
- The term 熊鼠 uses the kanji for 'bear', 熊, as a prefix. Despite the name, it is not a hybrid creature, but a way to denote a particularly large or strong rat.
- In Japanese culture, the rat is the first animal in the zodiac cycle. This makes the rat a symbol of the beginning of a new year and a sign of prosperity.
- The kanji for 'rat', 鼠, literally translates to 'one who lives in hidden places'. This comes from the combination of 'root' and 'to reside', implying a creature that lives out of sight.
Examples in context
- 窮鼠猫を噛む。A cornered rat will bite a cat.This sentence uses 鼠 to illustrate a proverb about a cornered rat.Tatoeba #182372 by KK_kaku_, translation #19548 by CK
- 犬は猫を追いかけ、猫は鼠を追いかける。Dog chases cat, cat chases rat.This sentence uses 鼠 to describe a sequence of animals chasing one another.Tatoeba #1614188 by Meow, translation #12010564 by Winter
- 「そんなに舐められた相手じゃないけどなぁ・・・」「そうだよ、窮鼠猫を噛むって言うじゃないか」"I don't think she's an opponent you can ignore like that …" "That's right, they say a cornered rat bites back, don't they?"This sentence uses 鼠 within a conversational proverb about a cornered rat.Tatoeba #74823 by fcbond, translation #328896 by fcbond
- 学校の実験で、私たちはねずみの生態について学びました。During the school experiment, we learned about the ecology of rats.
- 今日、隣のお庭でねずみちゃんを見つけました！思ったより小さいね！Today, I found a little rat in my neighbor's garden! It's smaller than I expected!
- 彼の家には、たくさんのねずみが住んでいます。There are many rats living in his house.
- あなたの部屋にネズミが入り込んだのを見ました！I saw a rat enter your room!
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are looking at an old house.
- 蓮 Renこの家には鼠がいるかもしれません。Kono ie ni wa nezumi ga iru kamoshiremasen.There might be rats in this house.
- 美咲 Misakiえっ、本当ですか？怖いです。E', hontō desu ka? Kowai desu.What, really? That's scary.
- 蓮 Ren大丈夫です。鼠は外に逃げますよ。Daijōbu desu. Nezumi wa soto ni nigemasu yo.It's okay. The rats will run outside.
- 美咲 Misaki早くここを出ましょう。Hayaku koko o demashō.Let's get out of here quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rat” translations and entries 鼠, ラット, 熊鼠, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ラット, 熊鼠, 鼠, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
