Japanese word

丑

Pronunciation

Romajiushi

Meaning

  • nounox

Example

祖父は丑の年に生まれました。so fu wa ushi no toshi ni u ma re ma shi ta

My grandfather was born in the year of the ox.

Illustration for 丑 (ox)

More examples

十二支では丑が二番目です。jū ni shi de wa ushi ga ni ban me de su

In the Chinese zodiac, the ox is second.

Core concept

Represents the ox as the second position in a traditional cycle that labels years and other calendar-related categories.

Common phrases

  • 丑年生まれushi toshi u ma re

    born in the year of the ox

  • 丑年ushi nen

    year of the ox

Definition in Japanese

十二支の二番目で、牛に配される年や方角などを表す名称。jū ni shi no ni ban me de ushi ni hai sa re ru toshi ya hō gaku na do o arawa su mei shō

Word origin

丑 (ushi, "ox") comes from the Chinese system of twelve earthly branches. The character is read 丑 (chū, "the second earthly branch") in Sino-Japanese and names the branch associated with the ox.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese calendars, 丑 (ushi) identifies the ox position in the zodiac, whereas 牛 (ushi, "ox") is the usual character for the animal in everyday writing.

Word lists with this word