How to Write 牲 (shēng) — Meaning “Livestock / Sacrificial animal”

Picture an ox (牛) that has just given birth (生) to a calf, and that calf is destined to be used for sacrifice. The image of a newborn animal linked to a ritual offering helps you associate 牲 with livestock and sacrifice.

The left radical 牛 must be written narrow, with a short horizontal stroke at the top, then a vertical stroke that extends downward, followed by a short upward hook. The right side 生 has five strokes: start with a horizontal, then another horizontal, a vertical, then two more horizontals; a common mistake is making the left side too wide or misaligning the vertical stroke of 生.

牲 uses the 牛 radical and means livestock or sacrificial animal. 牠 is a traditional Chinese character used as a pronoun for animals (equivalent to modern 它), while 牡 also uses 牛 and means a male animal. In modern usage, 牲 appears in compounds, 牠 is rare, and 牡 is used in biological terms.

牲 is rarely used alone; it mostly appears in compound words like 牺牲 (to sacrifice) and 牲口 (draft animals). Culturally, 牺牲 originally referred to an animal killed in a ritual, and today it metaphorically means giving up something valuable for a greater purpose.

Common words containing 牲 include: 牺牲 (xī shēng) — to sacrifice; sacrifice; 牲口 (shēng kǒu) — Livestock / Draft animals; 畜牲 (chù shēng) — Livestock or brute.