How to Write 羔 (gāo) — Meaning “lamb”

Picture a lamb (羊) standing over a campfire with four little flames (灬) underneath. The fire is roasting the lamb, reminding you that 羔 means "lamb" (often as food). This visual links the two components directly to the character's meaning.

Write the top part 羊 first, with three horizontal strokes and one vertical, making sure the left side is slightly open. Then add the four dots (灬) below, spreading them evenly from left to right — do not connect them into a line. A common mistake is making the dots too large or uneven.

羔 has 灬 (fire) below, meaning lamb. 美 has 大 (big) below and means "beautiful" (big sheep = beautiful). 羍 has 大 below too but is a rare character meaning "lamb" or "to reach" — it is almost never used today. Visually, the bottom part is the key difference: fire dots vs. a large person.

羔 appears in common words like 羊羔 (yáng gāo, lamb) and 羔羊 (gāo yáng, lamb), often in farming or food contexts. Culturally, the image of a lamb kneeling to drink milk (羔羊跪乳) is a traditional symbol of filial piety and gratitude.

Common words containing 羔 include: 羊羔 (yáng gāo) — Lamb; 羔羊 (gāo yáng) — lamb; 羔皮 (gāo pí) — lambskin.