Meanings of 老鼠
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Podcast: 老鼠
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AI study notes for 老鼠
鼠 (shǔ) refers specifically to the rat or mouse as a species, while 老鼠 (lǎoshǔ) is more colloquial and can imply familiarity or smallness.
Be cautious with the tone; '老鼠' must be pronounced with the correct third tone (lǎo shǔ) to avoid confusion with other words. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts but may be more prevalent in casual conversations. collocations include '捕老鼠' (catching mice) or '老鼠药' (mouse poison).
As an HSK Level 5 word, 老鼠 connects to vocabulary related to animals and household items. Students should practice using it in sentences to describe situations involving these creatures, such as pests in homes or in nature.
Learners often confuse the tones and pronounce it as 'lao4 shu3' instead of 'lao3 shu3', which changes the meaning. Additionally, using '鼠' alone without context may lead to misunderstandings, as it lacks the specificity of '老鼠'.
Pronunciation of 老鼠
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Component characters
How to say rat in Chinese
“rat” in Chinese is老鼠
老鼠 (lǎo shǔ) refers to a rat or mouse, commonly used to denote small rodents in general. It can be used in various contexts, such as discussing pets, pests, or even in idiomatic expressions. The term carries a neutral connotation but can imply cleverness or sneakiness in certain contexts.
When to use 老鼠
Be cautious with the tone; '老鼠' must be pronounced with the correct third tone (lǎo shǔ) to avoid confusion with other words. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts but may be more prevalent in casual conversations. collocations include '捕老鼠' (catching mice) or '老鼠药' (mouse poison).
老鼠 or something close to it
鼠 (shǔ) refers specifically to the rat or mouse as a species, while 老鼠 (lǎoshǔ) is more colloquial and can imply familiarity or smallness.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse the tones and pronounce it as 'lao4 shu3' instead of 'lao3 shu3', which changes the meaning. Additionally, using '鼠' alone without context may lead to misunderstandings, as it lacks the specificity of '老鼠'.
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Grammar patterns of 老鼠
老鼠 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
在他看来，这是个猫捉____的把戏，而我就是老鼠。
It's a cat-and-mouse game to him, and I'm the mouse.
Example sentences for 老鼠 (10)
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Frequently asked questions about 老鼠
You can say '我有一只宠物老鼠' (wǒ yǒu yī zhī chǒngwù lǎoshǔ).
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