The Rat Fan Club

How to Say “Rat” in Other Languages

Updated 2/10/14

If you have a new language to add, please email me at ratlady@ratfanclub.org.

In many European languages, the word “rat” is similar to English:

Danish—rotte

Dutch—rat, ratten (plural); for a pet, ratje, meaning little rat, indicates affection

Estonian—rott

French—rata

German—Ratte

Norwegian—rotte

Portuguese—rato

Spanish—rata

Swedish—råtta

Here is how to say “rat” in some other languages:

Abuan (Nigeria)—ókètè

Afrikaans—rot (pronounced with a rolling guttural “r”, as in Dutch)

Amharic (Ethiopia)—ayt

Arabic—fahr fara

Basque—arratoi

Blackfoot—omahksikanaisskiinaa

Cantonese—lou-syu

Canuilla (Southern Calif. Indian)—qáwal, yuul

Castellana—quimichin

Cayapa (Ecuador)—iyu

Kazakh—egeukuyrik

Chinese—lao see

Choco (Panama)—cado

Croatian—štakor

Cuna (Panama)—nusa

Czech—roof rat: krysa, Norway rat: potkan

Estonian—rott, rotid (plural)

Farsi (Persian)—mooshé sahrayee

Greek—αρουραίος pronounced a-rOO-re-os

Guarani (Paraguay River & Atlantic)—anguya (guasú)

Hausa (Nigeria)—bira, or kusu

Hawaiian—iole

Harari (Ethiopia)—fu’ur, fur

Hebrew—Khulda or Achbarosh (these forms are equivalent, but the former is usually used for “pet rat”)

Hopi—wupavösa

Hungarian—patkany

Indonesian—tikus

Japanese—nezumi

Kikuyu (Kenya)—mbia

Korean—jwee (chwi)

Kurdish—beleban

Kyrgyz (Kyrgyzland [Kyrgyzstan])—kelemysh

Lakota—Itunk Tanka (mouse large)

Lao—nu

Latin—mus maximum (large mouse)

Latvian—zurka

Lithuanian—ziurke

Maori (New Zealand)—kiore

Maranoa (Phillipines)—ria

Marshallese—kijdik

Mongolian—kharkh

Navaho—té’étson

Ngizin (Nigeria)—gáadàgùm

Nukuoro (a Polynesian language)—Gimoo

Polish—szczur

Punjabi (India)—chŭha

Quichua (Inca)—ucucha

Romani (Kalderas dialect)—Sobolako

Romanian—Shobolan

Russian—krisa

Sa’a (Ulawa Island, Solomon Isles)—‘asuhe or likisi to’i

Serbian—pacov

Shoshone—kawan

Swahili—panya or puku

Tagalog—daga

Tatar—kuse

Thai—nŏo

Ukrainian—shchur (any rat) or patsyuk (wild rat)

Vietnamese—chuot

Welsh— llygoden fawr (big mouse, llygoden being mouse)

Thanks to Andras Rajki for the entries for Cantonese, Kazakh, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Lithuanian, Mongolian, Tagalog and Tatar.

Thanks to Helen Cullum for the Welsh entry. Thanks to Danica L. for Croatian and Serbian. Thanks to Olga for Ukranian.

Thanks to Gudrun Hoppe for the Lakota entry.

Rat Fan Club
857 Lindo Lane
Chico, CA 95973
(530) 899-0605 ratlady@ratfanclub.org