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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "buffalo" in Chinese?
水牛
shuǐ niú
In Chinese, "buffalo" is 水牛 (shuǐ niú).
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Pronunciation
It's pronounced "shuǐ niú", where "shuǐ" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3), then "niú" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2).
Writing and usage
水牛 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
一头巨大的水牛在开阔的平原上吃草。
yī tóu jù dà de shuǐ niú zài kāi kuò de píng yuán shàng chī cǎo 。
A huge buffalo grazed on the open plain.
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How to remember 水牛
Break "水牛" (shuǐ niú) into "shuǐ niú" and repeat it slowly a few times until the rhythm sticks in your ear.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 水牛
How do you pronounce 水牛?
It's pronounced "shuǐ niú", where "shuǐ" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3), then "niú" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2).
Is 水牛 formal or casual?
水牛 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 水牛 used in Chinese?
水牛 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 一头巨大的水牛在开阔的平原上吃草。 (A huge buffalo grazed on the open plain.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"Buffalo" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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