How to Write 羍 (dá) — Meaning “Lamb”

Visualize a large (大) sheep (羊) standing proudly, representing a strong lamb. The image of a 'big sheep' with a lamb underneath can help you recall that 羍 means 'lamb'. Alternatively, think of the phrase 'Da's lamb' where 'Da' sounds like 大.

Write the top part 大 first, with horizontal and left-falling strokes, then the dot at the top. Below, write the sheep radical 羊 starting with the left dot, then the small horizontal, then three horizontal strokes (the middle one shortest), and finally a vertical stroke. Ensure the top 大 is not too wide, and the 羊 below is centered.

羍 (dá) has 大 on top of 羊, meaning 'lamb'. 羌 (qiāng) has 羊 on top of 儿 (legs), referring to an ancient ethnic group. 美 (měi) has 羊 on top of 大, meaning 'beautiful', and note the different component order: 羊 over 大 in 美 versus 大 over 羊 in 羍.

羍 is a rare and classical character, mostly found in ancient texts or poetry to refer to lambs. It is not used in everyday modern Chinese; the more common word for lamb is 羔羊 (gāoyáng). You might encounter 羍 in literary contexts describing young sheep or in compound words like 羍子.

Common words containing 羍 include: 羍子 (dá zi) — lamb; 羔羍 (gāo dá) — lamb; 羍羊 (dá yáng) — lamb.