牛 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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What does 牛 mean in Japanese?

牛 means cow or cattle. Its two highest-value words are 牛肉 (gyuuniku, beef) and 牛乳 (gyuunyuu, milk), which you will meet on every shopping trip in Japan.

The on’yomi ギュウ appears in those food words and in 牛丼 (gyuudon, beef bowl). The kun’yomi うし (ushi) is the living animal. The character is said to come from a drawing of an ox’s head with horns, and at just four strokes it is one of the simplest kanji in this set.

Reading

On’yomi: ギュウ (gyuu)

Kun’yomi: うし (ushi)

Basic Information

Kanji 牛
Meaning cow, cattle
Stroke Count 4
JLPT Level N4

How to Understand This Kanji

Use うし (ushi) for the animal itself: 牛がいる (there is a cow). Use ギュウ in food and product words: 牛肉 (gyuuniku, beef), 牛乳 (gyuunyuu, milk), 牛丼 (gyuudon, beef bowl). 子牛 (koushi) is a calf, with 子 (child) in front. 和牛 (wagyuu) is Japanese-bred beef, a word famous enough to be used in English. The split is clean: animal words lean kun’yomi, food words lean on’yomi, which mirrors how 肉 and 魚 vocabulary works.

Common Words

  • 牛（うし / ushi） — cow, cattle
  • 牛肉（ぎゅうにく / gyuuniku） — beef
  • 牛乳（ぎゅうにゅう / gyuunyuu） — milk
  • 牛丼（ぎゅうどん / gyuudon） — beef bowl
  • 子牛（こうし / koushi） — calf
  • 和牛（わぎゅう / wagyuu） — wagyu, Japanese beef

Example Sentences

  • 毎朝、牛乳を飲みます。

    まいあさ、ぎゅうにゅうをのみます。 / Maiasa, gyuunyuu o nomimasu.

    I drink milk every morning.

  • 北海道にはたくさんの牛がいます。

    ほっかいどうにはたくさんのうしがいます。 / Hokkaidou ni wa takusan no ushi ga imasu.

    There are many cows in Hokkaido.

  • 昼ご飯に牛丼を食べました。

    ひるごはんにぎゅうどんをたべました。 / Hirugohan ni gyuudon o tabemashita.

    I ate a beef bowl for lunch.

Related Kanji

  • 肉

    — Meat — 牛肉 (beef) = 牛 + 肉; this is the model example of the animal + 肉 pattern for meat words

  • 飯

    — Rice/meal — 牛丼 is beef served over rice, and meal words like ご飯 set the scenes where 牛 vocabulary appears

  • 飲

    — Drink — 牛乳を飲む (to drink milk) is one of the most common daily collocations for this kanji

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

The pair to master first is 牛肉 (gyuuniku, beef) and 牛乳 (gyuunyuu, milk). Both are long-vowel readings: ぎゅうにく and ぎゅうにゅう. Say them slowly at first; dropping the long vowels (gyuniku, gyunyu) is a very common learner mistake, and in romaji this site always writes them doubled: gyuuniku, gyuunyuu.

牛丼 (gyuudon, beef bowl) is one of Japan’s most common cheap meals, so the word appears everywhere from menus to conversation.

At four strokes, 牛 is quick to write, and it also serves as a radical (うしへん) in kanji like 物, where it sits on the left. Spotting it will help you break down more complex characters later.

Summary

牛 means cow: うし for the animal, ギュウ for food words like 牛肉 (beef), 牛乳 (milk), and 牛丼 (beef bowl). Keep the long vowels in gyuuniku and gyuunyuu.