羊

• Pinyin: yáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 羊 = pictograph of a sheep's horns and face, one of the earliest Chinese characters

Meaning

Sheep; goat. A general term for ovine and caprine animals.

A broad term that encompasses both sheep (绵羊) and goats (山羊). In everyday Chinese, 羊 alone usually refers to sheep or is used generically. It is also one of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals. 羊肉 (lamb/mutton) is a staple in northern Chinese and Muslim Chinese cuisine.

Examples

1. 山上有很多羊在吃草。 There are many sheep eating grass on the mountain.
2. 他属羊，今年是他的本命年。 He was born in the Year of the Goat, and this year is his zodiac year.
3. 冬天我们常常吃羊肉火锅。 In winter we often eat lamb hotpot.

Usage Guide

Context: animals, food, zodiac, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 草地上有一群羊。(There is a flock of sheep on the grassland.)
• 你喜欢吃羊肉吗？(Do you like eating lamb?)

Don't Say

• 我家养了一只羊当宠物。(While grammatically fine, keeping sheep as pets is uncommon in urban China — this sounds odd in city contexts. 羊 is typically associated with farming or food.)

Origin & History

A pictographic character depicting the horns and face of a sheep or goat. One of the oldest Chinese characters, found in oracle bone script.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal