<p>In most conditions, Chinese Mandarin doesn't divide "rat" and "mouse", but 鼠 and 老鼠 can mean different creatures. 鼠 means various of mouse-like creatures, like voles, hamsters, guinea pigs and so on, while 老鼠 only means rat, that grey little creature. </p>

<p>Hope it helps, I learned these from an online lesson I was taking, it's the ECL(eChineseLearning), they have got a free trial, and basically that's why I enroll their classes. Just for your consideration if you want to learn Chinese systematically, visit at <a href="http://www.echineselearning.com/free-trial/" rel="nofollow">http://www.echineselearning.com/free-trial/</a> for a free trial.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-04T01:07:23.310Z
2015-08-04T01:07:23.310Z
Shawn
<p>Answers to the related question indicated by Krazer (<a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/1317/11269">How to distinguish between rat and mouse in Chinese?</a>) are quite explicative:</p>

<p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/1331/11269">https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/1331/11269</a></p>

<p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/1330/11269">https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/1330/11269</a></p>

<p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/1516/11269">https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/1516/11269</a></p>

<p>So, summing up: in common language, do not make distinction among "rat" and "mouse"; use 老鼠 for both. 鼠 indicates an animal with a little head and long tail; it should not be used alone, but together with other morphemes to form words.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-06T12:51:36.953Z
2015-07-07T07:21:33.530Z
2017-04-13T12:48:06.457Z
Starnuto di topo
<p>What is the difference between all the different available kinds of rat and mices, like shǔ, lǎo shǔ, Xiǎo lǎo shǔ?</p>

<p>Can 鼠 be used alone?</p>

<p>Is 小家鼠 the proper word to mean a nice little mouse in a colloquial sentence (e.g. not in a scientific essay)?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-06T11:00:38.887Z
Related: http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/1317/how-to-distinguish-between-rat-and-mouse-in-chinese
Krazer
<translation>
Mices and rats: differences between shǔ, lǎo shǔ, Xiǎo lǎo shǔ, etc
# Mices and rats: differences between shǔ, lǎo shǔ, Xiǎo lǎo shǔ, etc

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-06)

What is the difference between all the different available kinds of rat and mices, like shǔ, lǎo shǔ, Xiǎo lǎo shǔ?

Can 鼠 be used alone?

Is 小家鼠 the proper word to mean a nice little mouse in a colloquial sentence (e.g. not in a scientific essay)?

Thanks!

**Tags:** translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Related: http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/1317/how-to-distinguish-between-rat-and-mouse-in-chinese  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-04. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

In most conditions, Chinese Mandarin doesn't divide "rat" and "mouse", but 鼠 and 老鼠 can mean different creatures. 鼠 means various of mouse-like creatures, like voles, hamsters, guinea pigs and so on, while 老鼠 only means rat, that grey little creature.

Hope it helps, I learned these from an online lesson I was taking, it's the ECL(eChineseLearning), they have got a free trial, and basically that's why I enroll their classes. Just for your consideration if you want to learn Chinese systematically, visit at <http://www.echineselearning.com/free-trial/> for a free trial.


---

### Answer by username_0 on 2015-07-06. Score: 0

Answers to the related question indicated by username_1 ([How to distinguish between rat and mouse in Chinese?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/1317/11269)) are quite explicative:

<https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/1331/11269>

<https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/1330/11269>

<https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/1516/11269>

So, summing up: in common language, do not make distinction among "rat" and "mouse"; use 老鼠 for both. 鼠 indicates an animal with a little head and long tail; it should not be used alone, but together with other morphemes to form words.

Thanks!


---

