羊毛
yángmáo
羊毛 (yángmáo) is the Chinese word for wool.
The term 羊毛 refers to the hair of sheep, etc. It is used to describe both the raw material itself and various products manufactured from it, such as clothing.
Meaning: hair of sheep, etc. (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
羊毛 is a compound of 羊 (yáng), meaning sheep and 毛 (máo), meaning hair or fur.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the term for wool is 羊毛.
How do you pronounce it?
yángmáo
When do people say it?
The idiom 羊毛出在豬身上，狗來買單 is a common idiom used to describe a situation where one party bears the cost or risk while another reaps the benefits.
Did you know?
- In modern Chinese slang, the phrase 薅羊毛 (hāo yángmáo), meaning 'to pluck wool', describes the act of exploiting loopholes to get freebies or discounts from companies.
- In Chinese, the word 毛 (máo) can also be used as a colloquial term for a tenth of a yuan, the smallest common unit of currency in daily speech.
- While 羊毛 refers to wool, the word for 'sheep' 羊 is used as a radical in many characters related to auspiciousness and beauty, reflecting the animal's high status in ancient culture.
Examples in context
- 绵羊提供我們羊毛。Sheep provide us with wool.This sentence is useful for showing how sheep provide wool.Tatoeba #2624120 by egg0073, translation #34763 by CM
- 羊毛出在豬身上，狗來買單。The wool comes off the pig, and the dog pays the bill.This sentence illustrates a common idiom regarding costs and benefits.Tatoeba #13946263 by LeviHighway, translation #13946265 by LeviHighway
- 她穿著羊毛衣。She was dressed in wool.This sentence shows how to describe someone wearing wool clothing.Tatoeba #844458 by Martha, translation #388606 by CK
- 我正在织一件用羊毛做的毛衣。I am knitting a sweater made of wool.
- 我需要去买一些毛线。I need to go buy some wool.
- 这件毛衣是用羊毛织的。This sweater is knitted with wool.
- 我喜欢穿羊绒的衣服。I like to wear clothes made of wool.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are shopping for winter clothes in a mall.
- 浩然 Haoran這件大衣是羊毛的嗎？Zhè jiàn dàyī shì yángmáo de ma?Is this coat made of wool?
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，它是純羊毛的。Shì de, tā shì chún yángmáo de.Yes, it is pure wool.
- 浩然 Haoran那質地摸起來很舒服。Nà zhìdì mō qǐlái hěn shūfú.The texture feels very comfortable.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，我覺得這件很適合你。Hàorán, wǒ juédé zhè jiàn hěn shìhé nǐ.Haoran, I think this one suits you very well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wool” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
