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noun HSK 4
gōng niú
bull · male cow

Meaning

This word refers to an adult male bovine animal. It combines the character for 'male' (公) with the character for 'cow/ox' (牛) to specifically denote a bull rather than a cow or general cattle.

Usage

Used in agricultural contexts, animal husbandry, and also as the name of the Chicago Bulls basketball team in Chinese (芝加哥公牛队). Native speakers typically use this word when distinguishing male cattle from female cattle (母牛), or when referring to bulls in contexts like bullfighting or livestock breeding.

Examples

  1. 01
    农场里养了十几头公牛。
    Nóngchǎng lǐ yǎng le shí jǐ tóu gōng niú.
    The farm raises more than ten bulls.
  2. 02
    他最喜欢的球队是芝加哥公牛队。
    Tā zuì xǐhuān de qiúduì shì Zhījiāgē Gōngniú Duì.
    His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls.

Characters

Measure words

  • 头tóu一头公牛
  • 只zhī两只公牛

Common collocations

  • 公牛队
    gōng niú duì
    the Bulls (team)
  • 发怒的公牛
    fā nù de gōng niú
    an angry bull
  • 斗公牛
    dòu gōng niú
    to fight bulls

Antonyms

Origin

A straightforward compound combining 公 (male) + 牛 (cattle), following the common Chinese pattern of adding sex markers to animal names.

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