松鼠
sōngshǔ
The English word squirrel is translated into Chinese as 松鼠 (sōngshǔ). Wiktionary also lists 灰鼠 (huīshǔ) and 栗鼠 (lìshǔ).
Meaning: rodent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 松鼠 | sōngshǔ |
| 灰鼠 | huīshǔ |
| 栗鼠 | lìshǔ |
The term is used to refer to the rodent commonly known as a squirrel.
Which one should you use?
松鼠 is the general term for a squirrel. In contrast, 栗鼠 specifically refers to chipmunks or ground squirrels and is literally translated as 'chestnut rodent'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting a single squirrel, use the measure word 只, resulting in 只松鼠.
How do you pronounce it?
sōngshǔ
Did you know?
- A popular Chinese dish called 'squirrel-shaped mandarin fish' 松鼠鱼 is sculpted to look like a 松鼠 and tastes sweet and sour.
- The character 松 in 松鼠 refers to the 'pine tree', suggesting a natural linguistic link between the animal and its traditional habitat.
- While 松鼠 is the general term, the word 鼠 is used for many different animals, including rats and mice, creating a broad category of 'rodents' in the language.
Examples in context
- 这只松鼠对坚果过敏。This squirrel is allergic to nuts.This sentence shows how to use 松鼠 when discussing an allergy.Tatoeba #7774423 by jiangche, translation #3222367 by Hybrid
- 如果你是只松鼠，你会怎么做？If you were a squirrel, what would you do?This sentence demonstrates the use of 松鼠 in a hypothetical situation.Tatoeba #3380561 by go_oo, translation #7770339 by sharris123
- 我本来想给我在公园发现的松鼠拍照，但它太敏捷了，因此我拍的照片都不好。I was going to take a picture of a squirrel I found in the park, but it was too nimble, and all my shots were no good.This sentence illustrates how to describe the behavior of a 松鼠 in a park.Tatoeba #12617596 by Enzo, translation #1528230 by marshmallowcat
- 我昨天在公园里看到了一只 松鼠 。Yesterday, I saw a squirrel in the park.
- 这些 松鼠宝宝 真可爱！These little baby squirrels are so adorable!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is walking through a park in autumn.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你看，那边有一只松鼠！Nǐ kàn, nà biān yǒu yī zhǐ sōngshǔ!Look, there is a squirrel over there!
- 俊杰 Junjie它正在吃橡果。Tā zhèngzài chī xiàngguǒ.It is eating an acorn.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen它真的很可爱。Tā zhēn de hěn kě'ài.It is really cute.
- 俊杰 Junjie我们要不要给它拍张照？Wǒmen yào bù yào gěi tā pāi zhāng zhào?Should we take a photo of it?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “squirrel” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
