丑

See also: 醜, 표, and 코

丑 U+4E11, 丑 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E11 ← 丐 [U+4E10] CJK Unified Ideographs 丒 → [U+4E12]

Translingual

Stroke order (Chinese)

Han character

丑 (Kangxi radical 1, 一+3, 4 strokes, cangjie input 弓土 (NG), four-corner 1710₅, composition ⿴ユ十 or ⿻彐丨)

Traditional	丑
Simplified	丑
Japanese	丑
Korean	丑

Usage notes

In Mainland China's Modern Chinese General Chinese Characters Stroke Order Standard (现代汉语通用字笔顺规范) and Xiandai Hanyu Guifan Cidian (《现代汉语规范词典》), the third stroke touches the first stroke (相接 (xiāngjiē)) but does not cross over it. In the Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong standards, the third stroke crosses over the first stroke (相交 (xiāngjiāo)).

Derived characters

• 扭 妞 忸 狃 沑 吜 杻 炄 㺲 䏔 䂇 䖡 紐(纽) 衄 粈 䚼 鈕(钮) 靵 䶊 𮮬 羞 峱 䛝 侴 橻

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 77, character 4
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 23
• Dae Jaweon: page 154, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 12, character 7
• Unihan data for U+4E11

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 丑
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j30864 j30865 j30866 j30867 j30868 j30869 j30870 j30871 j30872 j30873 Bronze inscriptions b21024 b21025 b21026 b21027 b21028 b21029 b21030 b21031 b21032 b21033 b21034 b21035 b21036 b21037 b21038 Small seal script s11002 Transcribed ancient scripts L35273 L35274 L35275 L35276 L18097 L18098 L18099 L18100 L18101
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (丑) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
峱	*nuː
紐	*nuʔ
扭	*nuʔ, *tnuʔ
狃	*nuʔ, *nus
鈕	*nuʔ
忸	*nuʔ, *nuɡ
杻	*nuʔ, *n̥ʰuʔ
莥	*nuʔ
羞	*snu
丑	*n̥ʰuʔ
沑	*njuʔ, *nuɡ
粈	*njuʔ
衄	*nuɡ, *njuɡ

Pictogram (象形) – a hand or an animal claw. Phonetically borrowed to represent an earthly branch.

Etymology 1

trad.		丑
simp. #		丑
alternative forms		丒 㗺 𠃠

Smith (2010) proposes that 丑 graphically depicts the claw-like "final, narrow phase of the moon"; he glosses it as "thing that pinches > pincer" and groups it into a word-family which is based on 扭 (OC *nuʔ, *tnuʔ, “twist, pinch”) and also includes

• 手 (OC *hnjɯwʔ, “hand”);
• 杻 (OC *nuʔ, *n̥ʰuʔ) ~ 杽 (OC *n̥ʰɯwʔ, “manacle”), which equally uses 丑 (OC *n̥ʰuʔ) or 手 (OC *hnjɯwʔ) as phonophoric, as noted by Unger (1995) and Sagart (1999);
• 紐 (OC *nuʔ) ~ 鈕 (OC *nuʔ, “grip handle”), with which Shuowen glosses 丑 (OC *n̥ʰuʔ);
• 狃 (OC *nuʔ, *nus, “animal tracks”), suggested to mean "animals' fingers" by Sagart (1999).

Its association with the ox is from Austroasiatic (Mei, 1980; Norman, 1985; Ferlus, 2013); compare Proto-Vietic *c-luː (“water buffalo”), Proto-Mon-Khmer *krpiʔ ~ *krpiiw ~ *krpuʔ ~ *(kr)puh (“buffalo”), Proto-Austroasiatic *k.r.pu.y (“buffalo”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): chǒu (chou³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄡˇ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): cou³

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): cau²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ciu²

• Gan (Wiktionary): ciiu³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhú

  (Meixian, Guangdong): cu³

• Jin (Wiktionary): cou²
• Northern Min (KCR): tiǔ
• Eastern Min (BUC): tiū
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): tiu³
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): thiú / thiúⁿ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): tiu²

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵tsheu
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): chou³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chǒu
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄡˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chǒu
    • Wade–Giles: chʻou³
    • Yale: chǒu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: choou
    • Palladius: чоу (čou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯²¹⁴/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: cou³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: cou
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰəu⁵³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: cau²
    • Yale: cháu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsau²
    • Guangdong Romanization: ceo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɐu̯³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ciu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiu⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ciiu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɨu²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhú
    • Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: cu³
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu³¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: cu³
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu³¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: cou²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sʰəu⁵³/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: tiǔ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiu²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: tiū
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰieu³³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: tiu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiu⁴⁵³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: tiu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiu³³²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiú
    • Tâi-lô: thiú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: tiuo
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tʰiu⁴¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tʰiu⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /tʰiu⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiúⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: thiúnn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: tviuo
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰiũ⁵³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: tiu²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: thiú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiu⁵²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵tsheu
    • MiniDict: tsheu^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²tsheu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sʰɤ³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: chou³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /ʈ͡ʂʰəu̯⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /t͡sʰəu̯⁴¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: trhjuwX

Rime
Character	丑
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	徹 (10)
Final (韻)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	敕久切
Baxter	trhjuwX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʈʰɨuX/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈʰiuX/
Shao Rongfen	/ȶʰiəuX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈʰuwX/
Li Rong	/ȶʰiuX/
Wang Li	/ȶʰĭəuX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ȶʰi̯ə̯uX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chǒu
Expected Cantonese Reflex	cau2

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[n̥]ruʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*n̥ʰuʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	丑
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	chǒu
Middle Chinese	‹ trhjuwX ›
Old Chinese	/*[n̥]ruʔ/
English	2d earthly branch
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	丑
Reading #	1/1
No.	1526
Phonetic component	丑
Rime group	幽
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	丑
Old Chinese	/*n̥ʰuʔ/

Definitions

丑

1. second of twelve earthly branches (地支)
   1. (Chinese zodiac) ox (牛)
2. a surname

Coordinate terms

• (Chinese earthly branches) 地支 (dìzhī); 子, 丑 (chǒu), 寅 (yín), 卯 (mǎo), 辰 (chén), 巳 (sì), 午 (wǔ), 未 (wèi), 申 (shēn), 酉 (yǒu), 戌, 亥 (hài) ^{(Category: zh:Chinese earthly branches)}

Compounds

• 丑時／丑时 (chǒushí)
• 辛丑和約／辛丑和约

 

Etymology 2

trad.		丑
simp. #		丑

From 醜／丑 (chǒu, “ugly”):

以墨粉塗面，其形甚醜。今省文為丑。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

以墨粉涂面，其形甚醜。今省文为丑。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: 1559, 徐渭 [Xu Wei], 《南詞敘錄》 [An Account of Southern Drama]

Yǐ mòfěn tú miàn, qí xíng shèn chǒu. Jīn xǐngwén wèi chǒu. [Pinyin]

His face is smeared with powdered ink, and his appearance is very 醜 (ugly). It is now graphically simplified to 丑.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): chǒu (chou³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄡˇ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): cou³

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): cau²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ciu²

• Gan (Wiktionary): ciiu³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhú

  (Meixian, Guangdong): cu³

• Eastern Min (BUC): tiū
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): tiu³
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): thiú / thiúⁿ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): tiu²

• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): chou³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chǒu
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄡˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chǒu
    • Wade–Giles: chʻou³
    • Yale: chǒu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: choou
    • Palladius: чоу (čou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯²¹⁴/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: cou³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: cou
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰəu⁵³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: cau²
    • Yale: cháu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsau²
    • Guangdong Romanization: ceo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɐu̯³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ciu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiu⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ciiu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɨu²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhú
    • Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: cu³
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu³¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: cu³
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu³¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: tiū
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰieu³³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: tiu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiu⁴⁵³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: tiu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiu³³²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiú
    • Tâi-lô: thiú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: tiuo
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tʰiu⁴¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tʰiu⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /tʰiu⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiúⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: thiúnn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: tviuo
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰiũ⁵³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: tiu²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: thiú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiu⁵²/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: chou³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /ʈ͡ʂʰəu̯⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /t͡sʰəu̯⁴¹/

Definitions

丑

1. clown; comedian

Compounds

• 丑三
• 丑婆子
• 丑旦
• 丑表功
• 丑角 (chǒujué)
• 女丑
• 小丑 (xiǎochǒu)
• 小丑魚／小丑鱼 (xiǎochǒuyú)
• 幺麼小丑／幺麽小丑
• 文丑 (wénchǒu)
• 武丑
• 跳樑小丑／跳梁小丑 (tiàoliángxiǎochǒu)

 

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of 丑 – see 醜 (“ugly; homely; hideous; shameful; disgraceful; etc.”). (This character is the simplified form of 醜).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Kanji

丑

(Jinmeiyō kanji)

1. 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM.
2. The ox, the second sign of Chinese zodiac.

Readings

• Go-on: ちゅ (chu)^{←ちゆ (tyu, historical)}
• Kan-on: ちゅう (chū)^{←ちう (tiu, historical)}
• On: しゅ (shu)^{←しゆ (syu, historical)}、しゅう (shū)^{←しう (siu, historical)}
• Kun: うし (ushi, 丑)
• Nanori: ひろ (hiro)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
丑
うし Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

From 牛 (ushi, “bull; cow; ox”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うし [ùshí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ɕi]

• Homophone: 牛

Proper noun

丑(うし) • (Ushi) 

1. the Ox, the second of the twelve Earthly Branches

   Hypernyms: 十二支, 地支

   Coordinate terms: 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
丑
ちゅう Jinmeiyō
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 丑 (trhjuw^X).

Proper noun

丑(ちゅう) • (Chū) ^{←ちう (Tiu)?}

1. the Ox, the second of the twelve Earthly Branches

   Hypernyms: 十二支, 地支

   Coordinate terms: 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥

Korean

Etymology 1

From a corrupted or unorthodox reading. The original reading is 추 (chu) based on Middle Chinese 丑 (MC trhjuwX).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʰuk̚]
• Phonetic hangul: [축]

Hanja

Wikisource

丑 (eumhun 소 축 (so chuk))
丑 (eumhun 둘째 지지 축 (duljjae jiji chuk))

1. hanja form^? of 축 (“ox; second earthly branch”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 축년 (丑年, chungnyeon)
• 축시 (丑時, chuksi)
• 축월 (丑月, chugwol)
• 축좌 (丑坐, chukjwa)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 丑 (MC trhjuwX). Recorded as Middle Korean 튜ᇢ〯 (Yale: thyǔw) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʰu]
• Phonetic hangul: [추]

Hanja

丑 (eumhun 사람 이름 추 (saram ireum chu))

1. Used in personal names.

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

丑: Hán Nôm readings: sửu, giấu, sấu, xấu, trửu, trẩu, chẩu, chửu

1. chữ Hán form of Sửu (“second of the twelve earthly branches”).

   Hypernyms: 地支, 十二支

   Coordinate terms: 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥

Compounds

• 丁丑 (Đinh Sửu)
• 乙丑 (Ất Sửu)
• 己丑 (Kỷ Sửu)
• 癸丑 (Qúy Sửu/Quý Sửu)
• 辛丑 (Tân Sửu)

 

References

• Nom Foundation