牛

JLPT N4

Cow, beef

Readings

On’yomi: ギュウ (gyuu)

Kun’yomi: うし (ushi)

• うし (ushi) – cow, ox

Structure

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Detailed Explanation

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Mnemonic

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Etymology

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Visual Tip

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Vocabulary

牛

うし

cow

牛肉

ぎゅうにく

beef

乳牛

にゅうぎゅう

dairy cow

子牛

こうし

calf

牛乳

ぎゅうにゅう

milk

Example Sentences

牛を育てます。

うしをそだてます。

I raise cows.

牛肉を食べます。

ぎゅうにくをたべます。

I eat beef.

乳牛を飼います。

にゅうぎゅうをかいます。

I keep dairy cows.

子牛が生まれました。

こうしがうまれました。

A calf was born.

牛乳を飲みます。

ぎゅうにゅうをのみます。

I drink milk.

Cultural Note

🐄 牛 is central to Japanese agriculture, cuisine, and culture:
• Agriculture: Historically used as draft animals in rice fields.
• Cuisine: Beef dishes like すき焼き, 焼肉, and 牛丼 are iconic.
• Zodiac: 牛 is the second sign of the Japanese zodiac, representing hard work and reliability.
• Idioms: Expressions like 牛耳る（ぎゅうじる）– to dominate / control reflect its symbolic strength.