Pinyin Syllable
Chinese characters pronounced niu
Learn common Chinese characters pronounced niu, including 牛 niú, 纽 niǔ, 扭 niǔ. Compare tones, meanings, traditional forms, words, and example sentences.
How to Pronounce This Syllable
To say niu, lead with the initial n, then flow without a break into the final iu, holding the tone across the whole syllable.
Initial n
Start the syllable on the initial n, then run straight into the final iu — keep them joined instead of sounding out separate English letters.
Final iu
Settle the final iu into a steady mouth shape first, then lay the tone on top.
Study Tip
Start with the most common characters (牛 niú, 纽 niǔ, 扭 niǔ) and lock in their tones. 3 common characters share the sound niu, so lean on words to tell the rest apart.
Learn by Tone
niu turns up here with 2 different tones; a change of tone usually means a different character, so the groups below are split by tone.
2nd tone
Taking the 2nd tone here: 牛 (1 in total). Lock this tone in your ear before the meaning.
3rd tone
Taking the 3rd tone here: 纽, 扭 (2 in total). Lock this tone in your ear before the meaning.
Common Words With This Sound
Seeing niu inside whole words makes it clear which character is meant — here are common ones.
Characters
3 common characters in this group.