ねずみ

ね

ず

み

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun

usually written using kana alone

General word for small murid rodents; Japanese ねずみ often covers both English “mouse” and “rat,” with context deciding the size or species.

よう

の

ネズミ

を

飼し

育いく

し

て

いる

。

They are keeping laboratory mice.

2

noun

usually written using kana aloneabbreviation

Shortened color-name use from ねずみ色. It is most natural as a color label or abbreviation; ねずみ色 is clearer in ordinary prose.

ねずみUsage20%
Standard everyday spelling; usually written in kana.
ネズミUsage56%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common for the animal, especially in biological, pet, or emphatic contexts.
鼠ねずみUsage24%
Attested kanji spelling; understandable and seen in some written contexts, but kana is more typical in ordinary modern writing.

ねずみ色いろ
The full and clearer color term meaning dark gray or slate gray; ねずみ by itself can be an abbreviation in color labels.
マウス
A loanword often used for a mouse as an animal in scientific or pet contexts, and also for a computer mouse; ねずみ is the native general word for the animal.
ラット
A loanword specifically suggesting a rat, especially in laboratory or species contexts; ねずみ can cover both rats and mice more broadly.

Native Japanese word with the conventional kanji spelling 鼠. The historical derivation of the word itself is uncertain.