牛母
niúmǔ
The English word "cow" is translated into Chinese as 母牛, or in Hokkien as 牛母 (niúmǔ).
Meaning: adult female of species Bos taurus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 牛母 | niúmǔ | ||
| 母牛 | mǔniú | /mu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /mu⁵³ nʲəu²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 牛母 | gû-bó, gû-bú | /ɡu²⁴⁻²² bu⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Lukang, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu, Sanxia, Yongchun, Yongchun) /ɡu²⁴⁻¹¹ bu⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Lukang, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu, Sanxia, Yongchun) |
Hokkien |
The term refers to an adult female of the species Bos taurus. In Mandarin Chinese, the term 牛 (niú) serves as the general term for cow. For a specific term referring to a calf or a young cow, use the formal term 牛犊 (níu dú).
What does it mean word for word?
The Mandarin term 母牛 is composed of 母 (female) and 牛 (ox/cow/cattle).
Which one should you use?
While 母牛 refers to a female cow, 公牛 refers to a bull.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form 牛母 is used in Hokkien, whereas 母牛 is the standard Mandarin form.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting cows in Mandarin, the classifier 头 (tóu) is used, as in 一头母牛 (one cow).
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien form 牛母 is pronounced gû-bó, gû-bú (/ŋu⁵³⁻³³ mo³³/).
Did you know?
- In Chinese slang, the word 牛 (niú) is used to describe someone who is incredibly impressive or 'awesome'. Saying someone is 很牛 (hěn niú) is a high compliment regarding their skill or power.
- The character for cow 牛 is a pictograph that originally looked like a sketch of an ox with its horns. Over thousands of years, the drawing evolved into the modern character.
- In the Chinese Zodiac, the Ox 牛 is the second animal. It is traditionally associated with diligence, reliability and strength.
Examples in context
- 我有一头母牛。I have a cow.This sentence shows how to use the classifier 头 with the form 母牛.Tatoeba #2777842 by GlossaMatik, translation #2777841 by CM
- 母牛流产了。The cow lost its calf.This sentence demonstrates a sentence using the form 母牛.Tatoeba #710672 by patricedenis, translation #3385760 by AlanF_US
- 當母牛飛得高, 公牛飛得低, 就有可能是一個龍捲風。When the cow flies high and the ox flies low, there probably is a twister.This sentence shows the form 母牛 used within a metaphorical context.Tatoeba #790731 by Martha, translation #414384 by MUIRIEL
- 我在农场看到一头大牛。I saw a big cow at the farm.
- 这头牛犊非常可爱。This calf is very cute.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Junjie are visiting a farm.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你看那頭牛母好大隻！Lí khàn ná thâu gī-bú hó tōa-tsiah!Look at that cow, it's so big!
- 俊杰 Junjie牠是不是在吃草？I sí-put-sí tsāi tsia̍h tsháu?Is it eating grass?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen對，牛母喜歡吃綠色的草。Tō, gī-bú hí-guān tsia̍h liuk-sè ê tsháu.Yes, cows like to eat green grass.
- 俊杰 Junjie牠看起來很溫順。I khàn-khí-lâi hěn un-sun.It looks very gentle.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cow” translations and entries 牛母, 母牛, 牛母, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
