CHINESE NEW YEAR 2020

In roughly three weeks (Saturday January 25) we will be welcoming in the year of the rodent. No, not necessarily the rat, even though that's what it's being called in English. The character used is 鼠 ('syu'), which means both 'mouse' as well as 'rat'. For rat specifically, 老鼠 ('lou syu') is used, but sometimes that means mouse; 小老鼠 ('siu lou syu') means 'a little mouse'.

鼠

Mickey Mouse is 米奇老鼠 ('mai kei lou syu'). A little syu (小鼠 'siu syu') is a mouse, but it could also be a tiny rat. A little white mouse (小白鼠 'siu paak syu') is the guineau pig in experiments, especially when referring to humans.
Your computer mouse is either 鼠標 ('syu piu'; "mousy ticket-thing") or 滑鼠 ('gwat syu'; "slippery mouse").

This data is offered in hopes that confusion will be averted.
Or guaranteed.



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All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
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