Rata, ratón

Question

how do you say "rat" vs "mouse" in spanish. Is "rata a female rat? How do you say male rat? Is is "raton" or does "raton" mean only "mouse"? How do you distinguish a female rat from a male rat and a female mouse from a male mouse?Please translate: female mouse male mouse female rat male rat thanks you!

Answer 1

"La rata" or "las ratas" are rats no matter if they are male or female. The male rat means "la rata macho". The female, "la rata hembra".

But "el raton" means male mouse, and "la ratona" means female mouse.

Los ratones - the mice.

I think it´s not the mouses , but the mice. - LuisCache, Feb 14, 2011

hahaha yes. Thanks, I'm not fluent in English. I'll correct it. - aislinn_pr, Feb 14, 2011

Answer 2

Ratón can also mean Thief/Criminal.

Answer 3

That is interesting. So I guess if I catch a rata I don't need to worry but if I catch a mouse I will have to check the plumbing before I can say I caught one. What if you just see one run by and can't check it out? Seems like other words default to the male word. Would I say el raton if I didn't have time or opportunity to check?

lol :) - Kiwi-Girl, Feb 14, 2011

Yes, as a matter of fact. People always scream "¡Aaaahhh, un ratón, un ratón! regardless of the sex of the mouse in question. - Gekkosan, Feb 14, 2011

Answer 4

DRAE is gender specific here.

Male rat = Rato

Female rat = Rata

Male mouse = Ratón (with tilde)

Female mouse = Ratona (without tilde)

Interesting. It is so, but I have never heard the word "rato" as being used for a rat before! - Gekkosan, Feb 14, 2011

I either, but there it is. - pacofinkler, Feb 15, 2011

Answer 5

I've read about using "macho" and "hembra" but haven't heard it in practice. This is what native speakers do? Also, is this how I would distinguish the following animals?

cat: el gato / la gata

wolf: el lobo / la loba

sheep: la oveja macho / la oveja hembra

coyote: el coyote macho / el coyote hembra

Gracias!

Essentially yes, athough the word "ovejo" is frequently used, even if it's not in the DRAE - Gekkosan, Feb 14, 2011