guinea pig
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guinea pig
A small rodent originally from South America that is often kept as a pet and is known for its squeaking sounds.
Die Kinder wünschen sich ein Meerschweinchen zum Geburtstag.
The children want a guinea pig for their birthday.
The word is made up of 'Meer' (sea) and 'Schweinchen' (little pig). The animals came to Europe across the sea and make noises reminiscent of pigs, hence the name 'Meer-Schwein' (sea pig).
Obwohl sie „Meerschweinchen“ heißen, können sie nicht schwimmen.
Although they are called 'Meerschweinchen' (guinea pigs), they cannot swim.
The ending '-chen' is a diminutive form. Words with this ending are always neuter and take the article 'das', as in 'das Schwein' (the pig) → 'das Schweinchen' (the little pig).
Ein kleines Meerschweinchen braucht viel Pflege.
A small guinea pig needs a lot of care.
In the context of pets, 'Meerschweinchen' (guinea pig) is often used with the verbs 'halten' (to keep), 'füttern' (to feed), or 'pflegen' (to care for).
Man sollte Meerschweinchen niemals alleine halten.
You should never keep guinea pigs alone.
mouse
'die Maus' and 'das Meerschweinchen' are both small rodents, so they may seem similar to learners. However, a mouse is much smaller, has a long thin tail, and is often seen as a pest. A guinea pig is larger, has no visible long tail, and is often kept as a pet. The words can be confused if you are only thinking of a 'small animal in a cage'. 'Maus' is more natural for wild or very small rodents, while 'Meerschweinchen' is used for the typical pet that squeaks.
Das Meerschweinchen meiner Schwester quiekt laut, wenn es frisches Gemüse bekommt.
My sister's guinea pig squeaks loudly when it gets fresh vegetables.
Im Keller hat Lisa eine kleine Maus hinter den Kisten gesehen.
Lisa saw a small mouse behind the boxes in the basement.