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Kotomora

鼠

rat, mouse, dark gray

Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • ソ
  • ショ

Kun'yomi

  • ねずみ
  • ねず

Meaning

鼠 centers on small rodents: rats and mice. The color sense 'dark gray' is an extension of the typical grayish fur of these animals.

Most common words using 鼠

20 of 158
  • 栗鼠りす

    squirrel (any mammal of family Sciuridae)

  • 鼠ねずみ
    N3

    mouse; rat

  • 針鼠はりねずみ

    hedgehog (any mammal of family Erinaceidae)

  • 海鼠なまこ

    sea cucumber (Holothuroidea spp.)

  • 溝鼠どぶねずみ

    brown rat (Rattus norvegicus); common rat; street rat; sewer rat; Norway rat

  • 鼠径そけい

    groin; inguinal region

  • 殺鼠剤さっそざい

    rat poison; rodenticide

  • 山鼠やまね

    Japanese dormouse (Glirulus japonicus)

  • 栗鼠猿りすざる

    squirrel monkey (esp. the common squirrel monkey, Saimiri sciureus)

  • 窮鼠きゅうそ

    cornered rat

  • 天竺鼠てんじくねずみ

    guinea pig (any of five guinea pig species, esp. Cavia porcellus)

  • 裸出歯鼠はだかでばねずみ

    naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber)

  • 鼠ねず
    N1

    mouse; rat

  • アマゾン天竺鼠アマゾンてんじくねずみ

    shiny guinea pig (Cavia fulgida)

  • アメリカ鼯鼠アメリカももんが

    southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)

  • カンガルー鼠カンガルーねずみ

    kangaroo rat (of North America; any rodent of genus Dipodomys)

  • コモン栗鼠猿コモンりすざる

    common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

  • シベリア縞栗鼠シベリアしまりす

    Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus)

  • バイカル尖鼠バイカルとがりねずみ

    Laxmann's shrew (Sorex caecutiens); Baikal shrew

  • パンパス天竺鼠パンパスてんじくねずみ

    Brazilian guinea pig (Cavia aperea)

Explore all words using 鼠 →

Study

Etymology

鼠 is a pictograph of a rat or mouse, with the modern form preserving a stylized head, body, and tail. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the character has long represented rodents.

Meaning mnemonic

The top part looks like a rodent's head with whiskers, the middle box its body, and the lower strokes its tail. Together, 鼠 is a rat or mouse.

Reading mnemonic

For ソ, imagine a small mouse sewing a tiny gray coat: sew -> ソ, and the mouse's gray fur matches the thread.