niú

cow

In Chinese, 牛 (niú) is used to refer to a cow. It can be used on its own or in conjunction with other words to refer to specific types of cows, such as 母牛 (mǔniú) for 'female cow' or 牛肉 (niúròu) for 'beef'. Beyond its literal meaning, 牛 also has cultural significance in Chinese, representing hardworking and honest characteristics.