The Chinese Radical: 牛


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Meaning
cow    牛

Explanation second earth branch

Used in these characters:
HSK 2
affair, item, components, clothes, events
jiàn
Left: person 亻, right: cow 牛 (The head of a cow キ with only one horn ノ)
A person comes with a cow, which is his affair.  
HSK 2
ox, cow, bull
niú

The head of a cow キ with only one horn ノ.  
HSK 2
announce, to tell, to inform, to say
gào
Top: cow 牛, below: mouth 口
The cow opens the mouth to announce something.  
HSK 3
to break up, unravel, to separate, solution, to melt
jiě, jiè, xiè
Left: horn/corner 角 (Image of a horn with head of an animal), right: sword 刀, cow 牛
The horn is cut by a sword from a cow: This is a "breaking up".  
HSK 3
thing, object, matter

Left: cow 牛 (The head of a cow キ with only one horn ノ), right: 'do not' 勿 (shows sun rays)
A cow sending out rays is a special thing.  
HSK 3
special, unique, distinguished, unusual

Left: cow 牛 (The head of a cow キ with only one horn ノ), right: temple 寺 (= Made of earth 土 and built with skillful hands 寸)
(Typically smaller animals like sheep or chicken were sacrificed. Thus:) A cow at the temple is sth: special.  
HSK 5
system, to control, to manufacture, to regulate
zhì
Left: cow 牛, cloth 巾; right: knife刂
A cow wrapped in cloth and with a knife: what a system!  
HSK 6
sacrifice

西
Left: cow 牛, right: west 西 (The sun 日 moves 儿 below the horizon 一 at sunset in the west)
The cow sinks down like the sun at sunset in the west, when being: sacrificed.  
HSK 6
to herd, to breed livestock

Left: cow 牛, right: strike 攵/攴 (hand 又 with a stick 卜)
The cows are striked (forced) to the pasture for herding.  
HSK 6
domestic animal, pet
shēng
Left: cow 牛, right: life 生 (The twig ノ at the growing plant stands for life)
A cow has the live of a: domestic animal.  
HSK 6
to pull (an animal on a tether), to hold hands
qiān
From top: large 大, cover 冖 (here: the yoke or tether/snaffle of an animal), cow 牛
The person with wide arms uses a yoke at the cow to lead or pull it.  
HSK 6
cage, corral, prison, firm, sturdy
láo
Top: roof 宀, below: cow 牛
The roof serves for the cow as an enclosure, that is firm and sturdy.  
no HSK
lax, relaxed, negligent
xiè
Left: feelings 忄, right: solution 解 (A horn 角 was cut by a sword 刀 from that cow 牛: It that a solution?)
Feelings can be a solution, if you take it lax/relaxed.  
no HSK
barley, to moo, to seek or obtain
móu
Top: nose 厶, bottom: cow 牛
The nose of the cow seeks for barley.  
no HSK
(of a bird, animal or plant) male, key, hills

Left: cow 牛, right: earth 土
The cow on the ground is male.  
no HSK
crab
xiè
Top: solution 解 (A horn 角 was cut by a sword 刀 from that cow 牛: Is that a solution?), bottom: insect 虫
It has a horn (= the shell) and with it claws 刀 it can pinch a cow. This 'insect' is: the crab.  
no HSK
plow

Top: profit 利 (Harvesting rice plants 禾 with a knife刂 brings profit.), bottom: cow, ox 牛
A profit brings the ox at a plow.  
no HSK
pupil (of the eye), eye
móu
Left: eye 目, right: barley 牟 (The nose 厶 of the cow 牛 seeks for barley.)
In the eye is something 'barley-shaped': the pupil.  
no HSK
rhinoceros, sharp

Outside: buttocks 尸, below: variation of water 水, cow 牛
The buttocks is in the water of this 'cow': the rhinoceros.  
no HSK
calf, sacrificial victim

Left: cow 牛, right: to sell 卖 (For ten 十 [coins] the hat 乛 of the leader 头 [= the big 大 with protruding eyes 丶] is sold)
The 'cow' that is sold is: the calf.  

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

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