鼠
rat, mouse, dark gray
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)
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.