Inklingo
← Dictionary

ratones

/rah-TOH-nehs/

mice

A group of small, cute grey mice eating a piece of yellow cheese.

In Spanish, 'ratones' refers to these small rodents.

ratones(noun)

mA1

mice

?

small rodents

Also:

vermin

?

pest control

📝 In Action

Los ratones corrieron por la cocina cuando encendí la luz.

A1

The mice ran through the kitchen when I turned on the light.

Mi gato siempre atrapa ratones en el jardín.

A1

My cat always catches mice in the garden.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • roedores (rodents)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • ratones de campo – field mice
  • trampa para ratones – mousetrap

Idioms & Expressions

  • Cuando el gato no está, los ratones bailan – When the person in charge is away, people will do what they want

💡 Grammar Points

The Vanishing Accent Mark

The singular form 'ratón' has a written accent mark, but when you make it plural ('ratones'), the accent disappears because the natural stress already falls on the 'to' sound.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Don't keep the accent

Mistake: "ratónes"

Correction: ratones

⭐ Usage Tips

Generalizing groups

In Spanish, the masculine plural 'los ratones' is used to refer to a group of mice regardless of whether they are male or female.

Several colorful computer mice with long cables on a desk.

The word 'ratones' is also used to describe computer mice.

ratones(noun)

mA2

computer mice

?

computing hardware

📝 In Action

Necesitamos comprar ratones inalámbricos para la oficina.

A2

We need to buy wireless mice for the office.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mouses (mice (anglicism))

Common Collocations

  • ratones ópticos – optical mice

⭐ Usage Tips

Native terminology

While some technical people might use the English word 'mouse,' using 'ratón' and 'ratones' is the standard and preferred way to speak in Spanish.

A person sitting on a sofa with an ice pack on their head and a glass of water nearby.

In some regions, 'ratones' can colloquially refer to hangovers.

ratones(noun)

mC1

hangovers

?

the feeling after drinking too much

📝 In Action

Después de la boda, todos tenían unos ratones terribles.

C1

After the wedding, everyone had terrible hangovers.

💡 Grammar Points

Using 'tener' with physical states

Just like hunger (hambre), in this slang context, you 'have' (tener) a mouse (ratón) rather than 'being' hungover.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ratones

Question 1 of 1

If you are in a computer store in Madrid and need to buy two pointing devices, what do you ask for?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ratón(mouse) - noun
ratoncito(little mouse) - noun
ratonera(mousetrap / mouse hole) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'ratones' always mean the animal?

No, it is also the standard word for computer mice and can be used as slang for hangovers in countries like Venezuela.

Why does 'ratón' have an accent but 'ratones' does not?

Spanish rules say words ending in 'n' or 's' usually have the stress on the second-to-last syllable. 'Ratones' follows this rule naturally (ra-TO-nes), so no accent is needed. 'Ratón' breaks it, so it needs the mark.