鼠 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) rat; mouse
How to write 鼠, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
Meaning of 鼠
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) rat; mouse
How 鼠 is built
Pictographic character. A mouse, with two paws to the left and the tail to the right.
How to remember 鼠
鼠 is a picture of a mouse. The top part looks like 臼 and can be read as the head with its teeth, the small strokes on the left are two paws, and the long hooked stroke on the right is the tail.
鼠 is a bound form, so it rarely stands alone. In speech people say 老鼠 (lǎoshǔ) for a rat or mouse, and it appears in many animal names like 松鼠 (sōngshǔ, squirrel) and 袋鼠 (dàishǔ, kangaroo). Example: 我的鼠标坏了。(Wǒ de shǔbiāo huài le.) My computer mouse is broken.
Common mistake: Learners often say 鼠 alone to mean mouse, but in everyday speech you need 老鼠 (lǎoshǔ). Also watch the tone: it is third tone shǔ, not shù like 树 (tree) or 数 (number).
Common words with 鼠
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 鼠标 | shǔbiāo | (computing) mouse | HSK 5 |
| 老鼠 | lǎoshǔ | rat; mouse (CL:隻|只[zhi1]) | |
| 松鼠 | sōngshǔ | squirrel | |
| 仓鼠 | cāngshǔ | hamster | |
| 小老鼠 | xiǎolǎoshǔ | @; at symbol | |
| 袋鼠 | dàishǔ | kangaroo | |
| 鼹鼠 | yǎnshǔ | mole (zoology) | |
| 黄鼠狼 | huángshǔláng | see 黃鼬|黄鼬[huang2 you4] | |
| 花栗鼠 | huālìshǔ | chipmunk (genus Tamias) | |
| 小白鼠 | xiǎobáishǔ | white mouse; lab mouse; lab rat | |
| 负鼠 | fùshǔ | opossum (zoo.) | |
| 鼠辈 | shǔbèi | a scoundrel; a bad chap | |
| 豚鼠 | túnshǔ | guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) | |
| 鼠疫 | shǔyì | plague |
鼠 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 鼠
Learning 鼠 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 鼠
How many strokes are in 鼠?
鼠 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 鼠 mean?
鼠 (shǔ) means (bound form) rat; mouse. A common word with it is 鼠标 (shǔbiāo), meaning "(computing) mouse".
How do you pronounce 鼠?
鼠 is pronounced shǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
Is 鼠 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 鼠 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Does 老鼠 mean old mouse?
No. The 老 in 老鼠 (lǎoshǔ) is just a prefix and does not mean old. A baby mouse can still be called 小老鼠 (xiǎo lǎoshǔ).
How do you say the @ symbol in Chinese?
A common casual name for @ is 小老鼠 (xiǎolǎoshǔ), little mouse, because the symbol looks like a curled-up mouse with a tail. You will hear it when people read out email addresses.