牲 meaning and stroke order
Sacrificial animal; domestic animal
How to write 牲, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 9
Meaning of 牲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- domestic animal
- sacrificial animal
How 牲 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Ox.
牛 gives the meaning and 生 hints at the sound.
Radical: 牛 (ox), shared by 34 characters on this site.
How to remember 牲
牲 combines 牛 (ox) on the left, showing it is about animals, with 生 (shēng) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture a living (生) ox (牛) kept on the farm or offered at a ritual.
牲 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in words like 牺牲 (xīshēng, to sacrifice), 牲畜 (shēngchù, livestock) and 牲口 (shēngkou, beast of burden). Example: 他为国家牺牲了生命。(Tā wèi guójiā xīshēng le shēngmìng.) He sacrificed his life for his country.
Common mistake: Learners often write 生 alone or mix up 牲 with 性 (xìng, nature, sex), which has the heart radical 忄 instead of 牛. Remember that animals take 牛, feelings and nature take 忄.
Common words with 牲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 牺牲 | xīshēng | to sacrifice one's life; to sacrifice (sth valued) | HSK 6 |
| 牲畜 | shēngchù | farm animal; livestock | HSK 7-9 |
| 畜牲 | chùshēng | variant of 畜生[chu4 sheng5] | |
| 牺牲品 | xīshēngpǐn | sacrificial victim; sb who is expendable | |
| 牲口 | shēngkou | animals used for their physical strength (mules, oxen etc); beast of burden | |
| 牺牲者 | xīshēngzhě | sb who sacrifices himself; sacrificial victim |
牲 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 牲
How many strokes are in 牲?
牲 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 牲 mean?
牲 (shēng) means sacrificial animal; domestic animal. A common word with it is 牺牲 (xīshēng), meaning "to sacrifice one's life; to sacrifice (sth valued)".
How do you pronounce 牲?
牲 is pronounced shēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 牲?
The radical of 牲 is 牛, which carries the idea of "ox". Dictionaries list 牲 under this radical.
Is 牲 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 牲 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Does 牺牲 always mean dying?
No. 牺牲 can mean giving up something valuable, such as time or rest, not only one's life. For example, 牺牲周末 (xīshēng zhōumò) means giving up your weekend.
What is the difference between 牲畜 and 牲口?
牲畜 (shēngchù) is a general, more formal word for livestock raised on farms. 牲口 (shēngkou) is more colloquial and usually refers to working animals like mules, donkeys or oxen. Note the second syllable of 牲口 is often said in a neutral tone.