Illustrated Flashcards in the Cow (牛) Family (Tap Readings for Audio)
Side-by-Side Comparison: 牛 vs. 物 vs. 特 vs. 解
Every kanji below contains the Cow (牛) component. Bold readings indicate the primary WaniKani reading:
| Kanji & Meaning | Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Story | Top Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 牛 (Cow) | ON: ぎゅう KUN: うし |
Japan is all about delicious wagyu beef/cows and sushi . | 牛肉 (ぎゅうにく) — beef |
| 物 (Thing) | ON: ぶつ, もつ KUN: もの |
A cow (牛) on tracks, in boots(u) and a monocle during morning tsunami , that’s quite a thing to see... | 食物 (しょくもつ) — food, foodstuff |
| 特 (Special) | ON: とく KUN: — |
At 6pm, the special cow that can talk-u announces the end of the day. | 特に (とくに) — particularly, especially |
| 解 (Solve) | ON: かい KUN: と |
Coyote on a fence and a sword... that's how a cow guard solved people trying to avoid the toll ... | 理解 (りかい) — understanding, comprehension, appreciation |
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Built from the Cow (牛) Family
Once you can recognize 牛 (Cow), 物 (Thing), 特 (Special), 解 (Solve) by their shared Cow (牛) visual motif, practice reading them inside these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | JLPT Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 牛肉 | ぎゅうにく | beef | JLPT |
| 牛 | うし | cattle, cow | JLPT |
| 食物 | しょくもつ | food, foodstuff | JLPT |
| 建物 | たてもの | building | JLPT |
| 飲み物 | のみもの | a drink | JLPT |
| 物 | もの | thing | JLPT |
| 特に | とくに | particularly, especially | JLPT |
| 理解 | りかい | understanding, comprehension, appreciation | JLPT |
| 解く | とく | to unfasten | JLPT |
| 解ける | とける | to come untied, to come apart | JLPT |