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道Nihongo Path
牛

牛·cow, cattle

On-yomi
ギュウ
Kun-yomi
うし

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

4 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
牛うしcow, cattle
牛乳ぎゅうにゅうmilk
牛肉ぎゅうにくbeef
牛丼ぎゅうどんbeef bowl

Example sentences

  1. 山の近くに牛がたくさんいます。

    やまのちかくにうしがたくさんいます。

    There are lots of cows near the mountain.

  2. 毎朝、牛乳を飲みます。

    まいあさ、ぎゅうにゅうをのみます。

    I drink milk every morning.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing 午後 (afternoon) with 牛 — check whether the top stroke crosses the vertical
  • Reading 牛乳 as *うしにゅう instead of ぎゅうにゅう

Memory aid

Picture it

A cow's head seen from the front: one horn up, one crossbar for the ears.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 牛 mean?