ראַץ
rats/ˈʁat͡s/masculine
The Yiddish word for rat is ראַץ (rats). Wiktionary also lists שטשור (shtshur).
Meaning: rodent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Yiddish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ראַץ | rats | /ˈʁat͡s/ | masculine |
| שטשור | shtshur | masculine |
ראַץ is a masculine noun used to refer to the rodent known as a rat.
Which one should you use?
While ראַץ specifically refers to a rat, the form שטשור is used in certain dialects to mean a mouse.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form שטשור is dialectal.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both ראַץ and שטשור are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
ראַץ is pronounced as rats.
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, a speaker might use שטשור to mean 'mouse', despite the word being related to terms for 'rat' in languages like Ukrainian and Polish.
- While 'rat' in English and ראַץ in Yiddish sound nearly identical, they both trace their ancestry back to the same ancient Proto-Germanic root, *rattō.
- Yiddish has various words for small pests, and using שטשור instead of ראַץ can signal which specific region of Eastern Europe a speaker's ancestors came from.
Examples in context
- איך האָב געזען אַ ראַץ אין גאָרטן.ikh hob gezen a rats in gortn.I saw a rat in the garden.
Example conversation
Chana and Menachem are cleaning their basement.
- חנה Chanaמנחם, קוק! וואס איז דאָס?Menakhem, kuk! Vos iz dos?Menachem, look! What is that?
- מנחם Menahemאיז דאָס אַ ראַץ?Iz dos a rats?Is that a rat?
- חנה Chanaיאָ, עס לויפֿט אַוועק!Yo, es loyft avek!Yes, it is running away!
- מנחם Menahemמיר מוזן רופֿן דעם פֿאָרשפּריצער.Mir muzn rufn dem forshprizer.We must call the exterminator.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rat” translations and entries ראַץ, שטשור, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ראַץ, שטשור, CC BY-SA 4.0.
