Rat emoji
๐ is an insult far more than an animal; ๐ญ is just cute. Copy both here.
Published ยท Updated
What the rat emoji means
๐ (rat) is an insult far more often than an animal: a rat is a snitch, an informer, someone who betrayed the group. ๐ญ (mouse face) is the cute one and carries none of that. The two are drawn differently โ grey rat, grey-blue mouse face โ but people mix them up. ๐ง is the cheese, ๐น the hamster.
Unicode name: rat ยท U+1F400 ยท Emoji 1.0 (2015) ยท group: Animals & Nature.
How people use it
- Snitch: ๐ as an accusation
- Year of the Rat: zodiac
- Pets: ๐ ๐ญ ๐น
- City jokes: ๐๐
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Use it for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ratU+1F400 | Rat; a snitch | Insult in comments | |
| mouse faceU+1F42D | Mouse face; cute | Innocent | |
| hamsterU+1F439 | Pet | ||
| snakeU+1F40D | Snake; a backstabber | See the snake emoji guide |
The mouse emoji ๐: a third rodent
There is a third rodent to know: ๐, the mouse emoji. Unlike ๐ญ (the cartoonish mouse face), ๐ shows a full mouse in profile. It is the clearer choice when you mean the animal rather than the insult.
The three are often confused. ๐ (rat) and ๐ (mouse) are both full animals, while ๐ญ is the friendly face used for cute posts. In chats, ๐ works well for literal mice, laboratory contexts, or anything small and quick. Pair it with ๐ง to lean into the classic cheese association.
Chat examples
Real messages with ๐, and a reply that fits.
๐ in the shed
๐ง
๐ญ tiny visitor
cute?
๐น got a hamster
name!
Questions people ask
What does ๐ mean in a comment?
That someone is a rat โ a snitch or a traitor. It is an insult.
What is the difference between ๐ and ๐ญ?
๐ is a full rat and usually negative; ๐ญ is a mouse face and cute.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the Emoji Directory editorial team, without ads or sponsorship. Meanings describe how the emoji is commonly used in public posts and messages, not an official definition. Names, code points, versions, keywords and translations come from the Unicode Emoji 18.0 and CLDR data; shortcodes from the gemoji project. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake or a new usage? Tell us, or read how the directory is made.
