The Chinese Radical: 牛


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Meaning
cow    牛

Explanation second earth branch

Used in these characters:
件
JLPT HSK 2
affair, item, components, clothes, events
jiàn
亻 牛
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.  
牛
JLPT HSK 2
ox, cow, bull
niú
牛

The head of a cow キ with only one horn ノ.  
告
JLPT HSK 2
announce, to tell, to inform, to say
gào
告 牛 口
Top: cow 牛, below: mouth 口
The cow opens the mouth to announce something.  
解
JLPT HSK 3
to break up, unravel, to separate, solution, to melt
jiě, jiè, xiè
角 刀 牛
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".  
物
JLPT HSK 3
thing, object, matter
wù
牛 勿
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.  
特
JLPT HSK 3
special, unique, distinguished, unusual
tè
牛 寺 寸
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.  
制
JLPT HSK 5
system, to control, to manufacture, to regulate
zhì
牛 巾 刂
Left: cow 牛, cloth 巾; right: knife刂
A cow wrapped in cloth and with a knife: what a system!  
牺
JLPT HSK 6
sacrifice
xī
牛 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.  
牧
JLPT HSK 6
to herd, to breed livestock
mù
牛 攴
Left: cow 牛, right: strike 攵/攴 (hand 又 with a stick 卜)
The cows are striked (forced) to the pasture for herding.  
牲
JLPT HSK 6
domestic animal, pet
shēng
牛 丰 生
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.  
牵
JLPT HSK 6
to pull (an animal on a tether), to hold hands
qiān
大 冖 牛
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.  
牢
JLPT HSK 6
cage, corral, prison, firm, sturdy
láo
宀 牛
Top: roof 宀, below: cow 牛
The roof serves for the cow as an enclosure, that is firm and sturdy.  
懈
JLPT no HSK
lax, relaxed, negligent
xiè
忄 角 刀 牛
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.  
牟
JLPT no HSK
barley, to moo, to seek or obtain
móu
厶 牛
Top: nose 厶, bottom: cow 牛
The nose of the cow seeks for barley.  
牡
JLPT no HSK
(of a bird, animal or plant) male, key, hills
mǔ
牛 土
Left: cow 牛, right: earth 土
The cow on the ground is male.  
蟹
JLPT no HSK
crab
xiè
角 刀 牛 虫
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.  
犁
JLPT no HSK
plow
lí
利 牛
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.  
眸
JLPT no HSK
pupil (of the eye), eye
móu
目 厶 牛
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.  
犀
JLPT no HSK
rhinoceros, sharp
xī
尸 水 牛
Outside: buttocks 尸, below: variation of water 水, cow 牛
The buttocks is in the water. This 'cow' is: the rhinoceros.  
犊
JLPT no HSK
calf, sacrificial victim
dú
牛 卖 乛
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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