marks names for rats · Kangxi radical 208

marks names for rats, mice and other small furry mammals like moles, weasels and shrews

The old graph of 鼠 drew a rodent seen from the side: an open mouth with teeth at the top, the body and clawed feet below, and a long tail trailing off. In the modern character the top box 臼 is what remains of the gnawing mouth and teeth, the strokes underneath are the paws, and the long hooked stroke at the bottom right is the tail. When 鼠 sits on the left of a character it is squeezed narrow, but the toothy box and the tail-hook are still visible.

鼠 at a glance

Meaning
marks names for rats
Strokes
13
Characters
10
Role
Contributes meaning
Kangxi radical
208

Characters with 鼠 (8 of 10)

Beyond HSK · 8

Frequently asked questions

What does the component 鼠 mean?

鼠 means "marks names for rats". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.

How many Chinese characters contain 鼠?

10 characters in this dictionary contain 鼠.

Is 鼠 a radical?

Yes — 鼠 is Kangxi radical 208, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.

How many strokes does 鼠 have?

鼠 is written in 13 strokes.