How to Write 牛 (niú) — Meaning “cow / ox / cattle”

Picture the character as a cow's face: the two short strokes on top are its horns, the longer horizontal stroke is its forehead, and the vertical line is its long snout. This visual makes it easy to recall that 牛 means cow or ox.

Write in stroke order: left-falling, horizontal, horizontal, then vertical. The top part should be narrow, and the final vertical stroke must extend clearly below the second horizontal line. A common mistake is making the two horizontal strokes too long or not keeping the vertical stroke centered.

牝 (pìn) means female cattle and adds the radical 匕 on the left, while 牟 (móu) means to moo and has a different top part (like 厶). Unlike 牛, these characters are rare in daily use and have distinct meanings and extra components.

You see 牛 in common words like 牛肉 (beef) and 牛奶 (milk). It also represents the Ox zodiac sign in the Chinese calendar. Culturally, the ox symbolizes hard work and strength, and is a positive symbol in farming traditions.

Common words containing 牛 include: 牛肉 (niú ròu) — beef; 牛奶 (niú nǎi) — milk; 小牛 (xiǎo niú) — calf.