雄牛
oushi
The Japanese word for 'ox' is 雄牛 (oushi).
雄牛 refers to an adult castrated male of cattle.
Meaning: an adult castrated male of cattle (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 雄 (male) and 牛 (cow/ox).
Which one should you use?
While 雄牛 specifically refers to a male ox, the general term for cattle is 牛.
How do you pronounce it?
oushi
Did you know?
- The word for 'ox' is closely linked to the concept of 'ushitora', a direction in Japanese geomancy believed to be inhabited by the ox and the tiger.
- The kanji 牛 (ushi) is a pictograph that originally depicted the head and horns of an ox.
- The word 牛 (ushi) is often used as a prefix in Japanese food names, such as 牛丼 (gyudon), where the pronunciation changes from 'ushi' to 'gyu'.
Examples in context
- やつらは雄牛を丸焼きにするくらいの火をおこしていた。They had lit a fire fit to roast an ox.This sentence shows how to use 雄牛 in the context of roasting meat.Tatoeba #74403 by fcbond, translation #329317 by fcbond
- 先生、牛の特徴についてお聞きしたいです。Teacher, I'd like to ask you about the features of an ox.
- 農家は雄牛を育てている。Nouka wa oushi o sodatete iru.The farmer is raising an ox.
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are visiting a farm.
- 美咲 Misaki見て、あの雄牛はすごく大きいね！Mite, ano oushi wa sugoku ookii ne!Look, that ox is huge!
- 陽太 Yota本当だ。とても力強そうだね。Hontou da. Totemo chikarazuyosou da ne.You're right. It looks very powerful.
- 美咲 Misaki雄牛は耕作に使われることがあるの？Oushi wa kousaku ni tsukawareru koto ga aru no?Are oxen ever used for farming?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、昔はよく使われていたよ。Un, mukashi wa yoku tsukawarete ita yo.Yeah, they used to be used often in the past.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 雄牛, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
