牦 (máo) · yak (Bos grunniens)

Meanings

1 yak (Bos grunniens)

Characters

牦

máo

yak

Examples

HSK 6

西藏的牦牛适应高原环境。

Xīzàng de máoniú shìyìng gāoyuán huánjìng.

Tibetan yaks are adapted to the high-altitude environment.

HSK 7-9

牦毛可以织成毯子。

Máo máo kěyǐ zhī chéng tǎnzi.

Yak hair can be woven into blankets.

Tips

usage

Almost never appears alone; you will see it in 牦牛 (máoniú, 'yak'). The 毛 element on the right hints at the yak's long shaggy hair, while 牛 (cow) anchors the meaning.

Components

radical

牜 niú

ox; bovine (radical form of 牛)

Left ox radical (side form of 牛) puts 牦 in the bovine/livestock family with 牧 herd, 牲 livestock, 物 thing-of-substance. The side variant subtly tilts the bottom stroke so the form sits flush against the right component. 牦 names the yak, a long-haired highland ox of the Tibetan plateau.

phonetic

毛 máo

hair; fur

Right 毛 supplies the sound: máo carried over without change. 毛 also adds a vivid semantic flavour: the yak's defining feature is its thick shaggy coat. Hair-bearing ox = yak (牦牛). Pure phonetic + meaning-reinforcement; one of the cleanest compounds in the bovine family.