How to Write 犎 (fēng) — Meaning “zebu; humped ox”

Imagine a zebu with a large hump on its back that looks like a sealed envelope (封). This visual links the hump shape to the right component 封, and the sound fēng helps you recall the pronunciation. Think 'fēng the humped ox carrying a package'.

Start with the left radical 牛: write the first two strokes as a slanted horizontal and a vertical, then the third stroke (horizontal) and fourth (vertical) to complete it. The right part 封 has a 土 (earth) on top and 寸 (inch) below; make sure the 寸's dot is placed carefully. Keep the left side narrow and the right side wider to maintain balance.

犎 (fēng) means 'humped ox', while 牾 (wǔ) means 'to go against' or 'to offend', and 牿 (gù) means 'cow pen' or 'to confine cattle'. Visually, 犎 has 封 on the right, 牾 has 吾 (wǔ), and 牿 has 告 (gù). The meanings and components are completely different, so focus on the right side to tell them apart.

犎 is a classical character rarely used in daily conversation. It appears mainly in agricultural or zoological contexts, such as the word 犎牛 (fēng niú) for the zebu breed. You might encounter it in historical texts or specialized literature about cattle, but most modern speakers would not use it.

Common words containing 犎 include: 犎牛 (fēng niú) — zebu; humped ox; 犎 (fēng) — zebu; humped ox.