老鼠

lǎoshǔ

noun #2,041

Measure Word

一只老鼠 zhī

Meanings

1 mouse
2 rat

Characters

old (prefix, no actual meaning here)

Examples

厨房里有一只老鼠。

Chúfáng lǐ yǒu yì zhī lǎoshǔ.

There's a mouse in the kitchen.

猫抓住了老鼠。

Māo zhuāzhù le lǎoshǔ.

The cat caught the mouse.

Tips

memory

老 here is a prefix that doesn't mean 'old' — it's like calling animals by a familiar name. Same pattern as 老虎 (tiger) and 老鹰 (eagle). 鼠 is the first animal in the Chinese zodiac.

In Pop Culture

米老鼠 Mǐlǎoshǔ

Mickey Mouse

iconic Disney cartoon character

Stroke Order

老 lǎo

鼠 shǔ