公羊
gōngyáng
The English word "ram" is translated into Chinese as 公羊 (gōngyáng).
公羊 refers specifically to a male sheep or ram.
Meaning: male sheep (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 公, meaning male or public and 羊, meaning sheep.
Which one should you use?
While 公羊 refers to a male sheep, 母羊 is used for a female sheep (ewe). If you need to specify a ram of a wool breed, such as a Merino, you can use 公绵羊.
How do you pronounce it?
gōngyáng
Did you know?
- The phrase 公羊 is also the name of one of the oldest and most important commentaries on the 春秋 (Spring and Autumn Annals), an ancient Chinese historical record.
- In Chinese astrology and the Zodiac, the 'sheep' sign 羊 actually encompasses both sheep and goats, meaning a 公羊 could be a ram or a buck.
- The character for sheep 羊 is a pictogram that originally depicted the horns and head of the animal. In ancient Chinese scripts, it looks more like a drawing of a ram than a modern character.
Examples in context
- 这只公羊的角很大。This ram's horns are very big.
- 那只公羊很强壮。Nà zhǐ gōngyáng hěn qiángzhuàng.That ram is very strong.
- 公羊的角很卷。Gōngyáng de jiǎo hěn juǎn.The ram's horns are very curly.
- 他在喂那只公羊。Tā zài wèi nà zhǐ gōngyáng.He is feeding that ram.
Example conversation
Jiayi and Junjie are visiting a farm.
- 佳怡 Jiayi看，那是一只公羊吗？Kàn, nà shì yī zhī gōngyáng ma?Look, is that a ram?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，它很有力气。Shì de, tā hěn yǒu lìqì.Yes, it is very strong.
- 佳怡 Jiayi公羊的角很漂亮。Gōngyáng de jiǎo hěn piàoliang.The ram's horns are beautiful.
- 俊杰 Junjie我同意，非常壮观。Wǒ tóngyì, fēicháng zhuàngguān.I agree, it's very impressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ram” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
