rata
/ˈrata/feminine
The Spanish word for 'rat' is rata.
The word rata primarily refers to the rodent. In a colloquial sense, it can also be used to describe a person who is a snitch or a traitor.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of rata is ratas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈrata/
Did you know?
- The phrase rata de biblioteca is the Spanish equivalent of 'bookworm', literally translating to 'library rat'.
- The term rata can be used to describe someone who is incredibly stingy or cheap with money, not just a person who tells secrets.
- The word rata for the animal actually comes from a Germanic source rather than directly from Classical Latin.
Examples in context
- Es carne de rata.It's rat meat.This sentence is useful for identifying the meat of a rata.Tatoeba #4538903 by cueyayotl, translation #2697098 by CM
- La rata es marrón.The rat is brown.This sentence is useful for describing the color of a rata.Tatoeba #5019471 by don_ramon, translation #13045030 by araneo
- Una rata cruzó la ruta.A rat ran across the road.This sentence is useful for describing the movement of a rata.Tatoeba #1076362 by hayastan, translation #35798 by CK
- ¡Cuidado! ¡Hay una rata en el pasillo!Be careful! There's a rat in the hallway!
- ¡Mira ese ratón corriendo por ahí!Look at that rat running over there!
- Odio las cucarachas, ¡parecen ratones!I hate cockroaches, they look like rats!
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are cleaning the attic together.
- ElenaMira, ¡hay una rata allí!Look, there is a rat there!
- MateoNo puede ser, ¡qué asco!No way, how gross!
- ElenaLa rata se escondió detrás de la caja.The rat hid behind the box.
- MateoLlamemos a alguien para quitarla.Let's call someone to remove it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rat” translations and entries rata, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
