How to Write 羊 (yáng) — Meaning “Sheep; goat”

Imagine a sheep with two curved horns on top (the two dots and horizontal line) and a long face below. The three vertical strokes at the bottom can remind you of a sheep's legs. So picture a cute sheep standing on four legs with its back as the horizontal line.

Write from top to bottom: first the two dots (horns), then the horizontal line, then the three vertical strokes. Common mistakes include making the three vertical strokes too long or uneven; they should be short and balanced. Also ensure the two dots are symmetrical.

羊 (yáng) differs from 羌 (qiāng) in that 羌 has an additional component 儿 (human legs) at the bottom, indicating an ethnic group. Visually, 羊 has three vertical strokes at the bottom, while 羌 has a different bottom part. Also, 羊 means sheep/goat, while 羌 is a proper noun for the Qiang people.

羊 is used in words like 山羊 (goat) and 绵羊 (sheep) to refer to the animal. In Chinese culture, the sheep is the eighth animal in the zodiac and symbolizes peace and filial piety. It also appears in the idiom 亡羊补牢, meaning it is never too late to fix a mistake.

Common words containing 羊 include: 山羊 (shān yáng) — Goat; 羊肉 (yáng ròu) — Mutton; lamb meat; 绵羊 (mián yáng) — sheep.