The character 牛 — “cow”: how to write it and what it means
cow, ox
The Chinese character 牛 is read niú and means “cow, ox”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 牛
牛 has 4 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 牛, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 牛
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 牛?
牛 has 4 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 牛 mean?
牛 means “cow, ox”. It appears in 牛奶 (“milk”), 牛仔裤 (“jeans”).
How do you pronounce 牛?
牛 is read niú. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 牛 have?
4 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 牛 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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