犊 meaning and stroke order
Calf; sacrificial lamb
How to write 犊, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 犊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- calf
- sacrificial victim
How 犊 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To sacrifice 卖 a calf 牛.
Radical: 牛 (ox), shared by 34 characters on this site.
How to remember 犊
On the left is 牛 (niú, cow), and on the right is 卖 (mài, to sell). The data's hint reads it as a calf 牛 that is given up as a sacrifice 卖, so picture a young cow being handed over at the altar.
犊 (dú) is mostly found in set words and idioms rather than on its own. The best-known example is the idiom 初生牛犊不怕虎 (chū shēng niú dú bú pà hǔ), "a newborn calf is not afraid of the tiger," said of bold, inexperienced young people. In northern colloquial speech, 犊子 (dúzi) means calf.
Common mistake: Learners often read the right side 卖 (mài) as a sound hint and say mài, but the character is pronounced dú with a rising second tone. Also check that the right side is 卖 (to sell), with the 十 on top, and not 买 (mǎi, to buy).
Common words with 犊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 犊子 | dúzi | calf |
犊 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 犊
How many strokes are in 犊?
犊 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 犊 mean?
犊 (dú) means calf; sacrificial lamb. A common word with it is 犊子 (dúzi), meaning "calf".
How do you pronounce 犊?
犊 is pronounced dú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 犊?
The radical of 犊 is 牛, which carries the idea of "ox". Dictionaries list 犊 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 犊?
The traditional form of 犊 is 犢. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 犊 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 舐犊情深 mean?
舐犊情深 (shì dú qíng shēn) literally describes a cow licking its calf. It is used for the deep love parents have for their children.
Is 犊子 ever used as an insult?
Yes. In northeastern Chinese slang, phrases like 小犊子 or 王八犊子 are rude insults, roughly like calling someone a brat or worse. Use 小牛 (xiǎo niú) if you just mean a calf in everyday speech.