Japanese symbol for “calf”
牛
うし
Romaji: ushi
cattle (Bos taurus); cow; bull; ox
In Japanese, calf is 牛, read うし (ushi).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n cattle (Bos taurus); cow; bull; ox; calf
- n beef (food)
- n Chinese "Ox" constellation (one of the 28 mansions) (astron)
Written forms: 牛. Readings: うし、ぎゅう、ウシ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “calf”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 子牛 | こうし koushi | calf |
| 脹脛 | ふくらはぎ fukurahagi | calf |
| カーフ | カーフ kaafu | calf |
| 腓 | こむら komura | calf (of the leg) |
| 素牛 | もとうし motoushi | calf (before it is fattened or used for breeding, usu. referring to 6 to 12-month-olds) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 牛乳 | ぎゅうにゅう gyuunyuu | (cow's) milk |
| 牛肉 | ぎゅうにく gyuuniku | beef |
| 和牛 | わぎゅう wagyuu | Wagyu (any of four breeds of Japanese cattle); Wagyu beef |
| 水牛 | すいぎゅう suigyuu | water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis); domestic Asian water buffalo |
| 牛舎 | ぎゅうしゃ gyuusha | cow shed; cattle barn |
| 牛歩 | ぎゅうほ gyuuho | snail's pace; slow progress |
See also: Chinese symbol for “calf”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.