Japanese symbol for “rat”
子
ね
Romaji: ne
the Rat (first sign of the Chinese zodiac)
In Japanese, rat is 子, read ね (ne).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n the Rat (first sign of the Chinese zodiac)
- n hour of the Rat (around midnight, 11pm to 1am, or 12 midnight to 2am)
- n north
- n eleventh month of the lunar calendar
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “rat”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鼠 | ねずみ nezumi | mouse; rat |
| 犬 | いぬ inu | squealer; rat; snitch |
| ラット | ラット ratto | rat (esp. a laboratory rat) |
| 鼠 | ねず nezu | mouse; rat |
| ラッテ | ラッテ ratte | rat (esp. a laboratory rat) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 子供 | こども kodomo | child; children |
| 女子 | じょし joshi | woman; girl |
| 女の子 | おんなのこ onnanoko | girl; daughter; baby girl |
| 男子 | だんし danshi | boy |
| 息子 | むすこ musuko | son |
| 様子 | ようす yousu | state (of affairs); situation; circumstances |
See also: Chinese symbol for “rat”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.