Japanese symbol for “cow”
牛
うし
Romaji: ushi
cattle (Bos taurus); cow; bull; ox
In Japanese, cow 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 “cow”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| カウ | カウ kau | cow |
| 雌牛 | めうし meushi | cow; heifer |
| 母牛 | ははうし hahaushi | cow |
| べこ | べこ beko | cow |
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 “cow”.
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.
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