Writing
牛 (niú) — how to say "cow" in Chinese
牛
Cow
noun · adjective
1. cow; ox; bullHSK 3.0 · level 3
noun
2. awesome; great; stubbornHSK 3.0 · level 5
adjective
Radicals / Keys
Cow
#93 · niú · 4 strokes
Collocations
牛肉
niú ròu
beef
Examples
田里有三头牛在吃草。
There are three cows eating grass in the field.
牛很大。
The cow is big.
Mnemonic

[niú-] Niu walked to the meadow and saw a big 牛. The 牛 chewed grass and mooed, «moo». Niu handed it a bundle of hay, and the 牛 nodded happily. 🐄
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say "cow" in Chinese?
"cow" in Chinese is 牛 (niú).
What does 牛 mean in Chinese?
牛 (niú) means "Cow".
Cow in Chinese pronunciation
It is pronounced niú (written as niu). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
Cow in Chinese character
It is written 牛 and has 4 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 牛?
牛 is on the HSK 3.0 level 3 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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