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Kotomora

牛

cow

JLPTN4StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes4

Readings

On'yomi

  • ギュウ

Kun'yomi

  • うし

Nanori

  • うじ
  • ご

Meaning

牛 centers on the animal cow, including cattle in general.

Most common words using 牛

20 of 215
  • 牛うし
    N3

    cattle (Bos taurus); cow; bull; ox; calf

  • 牛乳ぎゅうにゅう
    N5

    (cow's) milk

  • 牛肉ぎゅうにく
    N5

    beef

  • 和牛わぎゅう

    Wagyu (any of four breeds of Japanese cattle); Wagyu beef

  • 牛蒡ごぼう

    great burdock (Arctium lappa); gobo

  • 牛耳るぎゅうじる

    to control; to take the lead in; to have under one's thumb

  • 蝸牛かたつむり

    snail

  • 水牛すいぎゅう

    water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis); domestic Asian water buffalo

  • 闘牛とうぎゅう

    bullfighting; bullfight

  • 海牛うみうし

    sea slug (various orthogastropod species, esp. of order Nudibranchia); nudibranch

  • 乳牛にゅうぎゅう

    dairy cow; dairy cattle; milk cow; milch cow

  • 牛革ぎゅうかわ

    cowhide; oxhide

  • 牛舎ぎゅうしゃ

    cow shed; cattle barn

  • 子牛こうし
    N2

    calf

  • 牛歩ぎゅうほ

    snail's pace; slow progress

  • 牛糞ぎゅうふん

    cattle manure; cow dung; cowpat; bullshit

  • 牛脂ぎゅうし

    beef tallow

  • 雌牛めうし

    cow; heifer

  • 狂牛病きょうぎゅうびょう

    mad cow disease; bovine spongiform encephalopathy; BSE

  • 牛蛙うしがえる

    American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)

Explore all words using 牛 →

Study

Etymology

牛 is a pictograph of a cow's head with horns, simplified to the modern four-stroke form.

Meaning mnemonic

The two upward strokes are horns, and the horizontal and vertical strokes form the head and face: 牛 is a cow.

Reading mnemonic

For ギュウ, imagine a cow mooing with a deep 'gyuuu' sound: gyuu -> ギュウ.