HSK · Level 3
131 words
Chinese word
牛
Pronunciation
Pinyinniú
Meaning
- nouncow
Example
乡下有很多牛。xiāng xià yǒu hěn duō niú
There are many cows in the countryside.
More examples
我喜欢吃牛肉。wǒ xǐ huān chī niú ròu
I like to eat beef.
Core concept
A strong horned animal is a compact image of force, endurance, and impressive performance.
Common phrases
一头牛yì tóu niú
a cow
吃牛肉chī niú ròu
eat beef
Similar words
牛奶niú nǎi: The white liquid from cows, used for drinking and cooking.
牛肉niú ròu: Meat from cattle, eaten as food.
Definition in Chinese
一种体型较大、通常有角的家畜，常被饲养用于耕作、产奶或产肉；口语中也可单独用来表示某人或某事很厉害、了不起。yì zhǒng tǐ xíng jiào dà tōng cháng yǒu jiǎo de jiā chù cháng bèi sì yǎng yòng yú gēng zuò chǎn nǎi huò chǎn ròu kóu yǔ zhōng yě kě dān dú yòng lái biǎo shì mǒu rén huò mǒu shì hěn lì hài liǎo bù qǐ
Word origin
牛 (niú, "cow") preserves an ancient pictographic form showing a bovine head and horns; its praise use is a later semantic extension, not a second pictographic origin.
Usage tips
- A sentence about farms or food usually signals the animal sense, while a comment about a person's skill or achievement can signal the casual praise sense.