6 Chinese Words with 鼠 (shǔ) | Learn Animal Names in Mandarin 🐭 Not all “mice” are the same! In Chinese, many small animals share the word “鼠 (shǔ)”, which means mouse or rat — but can describe a range of cute (and not-so-cute!) creatures. Here are 6 common “shǔ” animals in Mandarin: 1️⃣ 老鼠 (lǎoshǔ) – rat or generic mouse 2️⃣ 仓鼠 (cāngshǔ) – hamster 3️⃣ 松鼠 (sōngshǔ) – squirrel 4️⃣ 袋鼠 (dàishǔ) – kangaroo (yes! 🦘 even though it’s not a rodent!) 5️⃣ 花栗鼠 (huālìshǔ) – chipmunk 6️⃣ 米老鼠 (Mǐ Lǎoshǔ) –