How do you say "ox" in Japanese?

牛

ushi

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "ox" is 牛 (ushi).

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Pronunciation

牛 is written using kanji. Romanised as ushi, it sounds roughly like "oo-shee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

牛 is a simple, ancient kanji depicting an ox's horns and face. It is one of the most basic animal characters and appears in many compound words related to cattle.

Example sentence

牛が草原を走っています。

Ushi ga sogen wo hashitte imasu.

A ox is running across the field.

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How to remember 牛

The kanji 牛 looks like an ox's head with horns when you view it sideways.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more zoo words.

Questions about 牛

How do you pronounce 牛?

牛 is romanised as ushi. Say it roughly like "oo-shee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 牛 formal or casual?

牛 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 牛 written in Japanese?

牛 is written using kanji. 牛 is a simple, ancient kanji depicting an ox's horns and face.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Ox" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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