牛 (niú): ox, cow, bull
牛 (niú) is a Chinese character meaning “ox.” Classified as HSK Level 1 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), with radical 牛 (cow). It ranks #1017 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically pictographic, 牛 an ox's horned head. Its radical form 牛 (cow) appears in many related characters such as 物 (wù, (bound form) thing), 特 (tè, special), 牢 (láo, firm).
Definitions
- ox
- cow
- bull
Etymology & Origin
pictographicAn ox's horned head
Stroke Order
Practice writing 牛 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 牛
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 牛仔noun | niú zǎi | cowboy |
| 牛肉noun | niú ròu | beef |
| 牛排noun | niú pái | steak |
| 斗牛noun | dòu niú | bullfighting |
| 吹牛verb | chuī niú | to talk big |
| 公牛noun | gōng niú | bull |
| 奶牛noun | nǎi niú | milk cow |
| 牛津proper-noun | niú jīn | Oxford (city in England) |
| 水牛noun | shuǐ niú | water buffalo |
| 犀牛noun | xī niú | rhinoceros |
| 疯牛病noun | fēng niú bìng | mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) |
| 野牛noun | yě niú | bison |
| 牛顿proper-noun | niú dùn | newton (SI unit of force) |
| 蜗牛noun | wō niú | snail |
| 红牛noun | hóng niú | Red Bull (energy drink) |
牛 appears in 100 compound words: 58 as the first character, 38 as the last, and 4 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 牛 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (20)
all sorts of bad things, especially people; cow demons and snake spirits
cow and famous steed at the same trough (idiom); fig. the common and the great are treated alike
lit. to hang one's books on cow horns (idiom); fig. to be diligent in one's studies
Cowherd and Weaving maid (characters in folk story); separated lovers; Altair and Vega (stars)
Showing 12 of 20 idioms containing 牛.
Example Sentences
牛字由4笔画组成，结构很巧妙。
niú zì yóu bǐ huà zǔ chéng , jié gòu hěn qiǎo miào .
The character for "ox" consists of four strokes, with a remarkably ingenious structure.
真正的无糖食品推荐哪些?配料只有生牛乳的酸奶算吗
zhēn zhèng de wú táng shí pǐn tuī jiàn nǎ xiē ? pèi liào zhī yǒu shēng niú rǔ de suān nǎi suàn ma
What are the recommended foods for real sugar-free? Is yogurt with only raw milk counted?
牛池湾纪律部队宿舍天台梯间起火 50人疏散...
niú chí wān jì lǜ bù duì sù shě tiān tái tī jiān qǐ huǒ 5 0 rén shū sàn . . .
A fire broke out in the roof stairwell of the Niu Chiwan Disciplined Forces dormitory, and 50 people were evacuated...
牛池湾纪律部队宿舍失火 近天台后楼梯垃圾桶...
niú chí wān jì lǜ bù duì sù shě shī huǒ jìn tiān tái hòu lóu tī lā jī tǒng . . .
Niu Chi Wan Disciplined Forces Dormitory caught fire near the trash can on the back stairs near the roof...
全台最大旗舰店!牛排馆扫地畚箕举高清灰
quán tái zuì dà qí jiàn diàn ! niú pái guǎn sǎo dì 畚 箕 jǔ gāo qīng huī
The largest flagship store in Taiwan! Steakhouse sweeps the floor and lifts high-definition ash
牛池湾纪律部队宿舍天台失火 救熄起因待查
niú chí wān jì lǜ bù duì sù shě tiān tái shī huǒ jiù xī qǐ yīn dài chá
The roof of the Niuchiwan Disciplined Forces dormitory caught fire, and the cause of the extinguishing was to be investigated
这是去牛津大学的车吗？
Zhè shì qù Niújīn Dàxué de chē ma?
Is this the bus to Oxford?
叫个清蒸鲈鱼好呢，还是蚝油牛肉好？
Jiào gè qīngzhēng lúyú hǎo ne, háishi háoyóu niúròu hǎo?
Should we order the steamed perch or the beef with oyster sauce?
能不能请您给我一公斤牛排？
Néng bù néng qǐng nín gěi wǒ yī gōngjīn niúpái?
Can you give me a kilo of steak?
您的牛排要几分熟？
Nín de niúpái yào jǐfēn shú?
How would you like your steak?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 牛 (niú) mean in Chinese?
How many strokes does 牛 have?
What is the radical of 牛?
What are common words containing 牛?
What characters sound the same as 牛 (niú)?
Is 牛 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 牛 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear spoken pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.