Japanese word

ネズミ

Pronunciation

Romajinezumi

Meaning

  • nounmouse

Example

台所にネズミがいます。dai dokoro ni ne zu mi ga i ma su

There is a mouse in the kitchen.

Illustration for ネズミ (mouse)

More examples

チーズを食べるネズミを描きました。chī zu o ta be ru ne zu mi o ega ki ma shi ta

I drew a mouse eating cheese.

ネズミが食べ物をかじった跡があります。ne zu mi ga ta be mono o ka ji tta ato ga a ri ma su

There are signs that a mouse gnawed on the food.

Core concept

Describes the familiar rodent associated with houses, fields, food, and quick movement, without fixing whether English calls it a mouse or a rat.

Common phrases

  • ネズミを捕まえるne zu mi o tsuka ma e ru

    catch a mouse

  • ネズミを退治するne zu mi o tai ji su ru

    get rid of mice

  • ネズミの穴ne zu mi no ana

    mouse hole

Definition in Japanese

人家や野原などにすみ、食物をかじる比較的小型の齧歯類。jin ka ya no hara na do ni su mi shoku motsu o ka ji ru hi kaku teki ko gata no ges shi rui

Word origin

ネズミ (nezumi) is a native Japanese noun rather than a recent loanword, but its deeper etymology is not firmly established.

Usage tips

  • Japanese zodiac traditions call the first animal ネズミ (nezumi), a term that English zodiac lists commonly render as Rat.

Other meanings

  • ratnoun

Word lists with this word