ratones
“ratones” means “mice” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
mice
Also: vermin
📝 In Action
Los ratones corrieron por la cocina cuando encendí la luz.
A1The mice ran through the kitchen when I turned on the light.
Mi gato siempre atrapa ratones en el jardín.
A1My cat always catches mice in the garden.
computer mice
📝 In Action
Necesitamos comprar ratones inalámbricos para la oficina.
A2We need to buy wireless mice for the office.
hangovers
📝 In Action
Después de la boda, todos tenían unos ratones terribles.
C1After the wedding, everyone had terrible hangovers.
Vocabulary Collections
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✏️ 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▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Spanish word 'ratón' (mouse), which comes from the Latin 'murem'. The suffix '-ón' was originally used to mean a large mouse but eventually became the standard name for the animal.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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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.