牛
牛 (niú) means “cow”. It is a single picture-like unit with 4 strokes, and is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 牛 into its parts
What 牛 is made of
牛 is not built from smaller parts; it is written with 4 strokes.
Origin hint: An ox's horned head (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
牛 stroke order
Example sentences
农民家里有两头牛。Nóngmín jiā li yǒu liǎng tóu niú.The farmer's family has two cows.
这是牛肉还是猪肉？Zhè shì niúròu háishi zhūròu?Is this beef or pork?
Words with 牛
Quick facts
| Pinyin | niú |
|---|---|
| Meaning | cow; ox; cattle |
| Strokes | 4 |
| Radical | 牛 (cow, #93) |
| Pattern | Single unit |
| HSK | HSK 3 (exam 2025) · HSK 3 (2021) |
Questions about 牛
What does 牛 mean?
牛 (niú) means “cow; ox; cattle”.
How many strokes does 牛 have?
牛 has 4 strokes.
What is the radical of 牛?
The radical of 牛 is 牛 (niú, “cow”), Kangxi radical number 93.
Which HSK level is 牛?
牛 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021).
Learn 牛 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 25: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.