Writing Balance Rule: Keep the vertical center line balanced; the horizontal strokes should be evenly spaced with the final horizontal stroke spanning wider to anchor the base.
1. Meaning
clown
2nd earthly branch (1-3 a.m., 12th solar month, year of the Ox)surname Chouancient Chinese compass point (30 degrees)
NounNeutral#theatre#zodiac#time#surnames
Sample Usage
他在京剧里演丑角。
tā zài jīngjù lǐ yǎn chǒujiǎo.
He plays a clown role in Peking opera.
明年是丑牛年。
míngnián shì chǒuniú nián.
Next year is the year of the Ox.
2. Sound
/[t͡ʂʰoʊ̯²¹⁴]/Tone: 214
丑
chǒuchou3
|
++
ˇ(214)
=chǒu
Initial Consonant
ch
Type: Aspirated Retroflex
Sounds like: ch (retroflex ch sound)
AspiratedRetroflex
Airflow Tactile Test: Both curled tongue AND explosive puff of air! Tissue MUST fly.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near the hard palate with a strong burst of air.
Final Rhyme
ou
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: ou rhymes with oh
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oh'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T3 (214)
2 → 1 → 4 (214)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 dips low and rises, similar to expressing disbelief in English like 'Really?' or 'Huh?'.
Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, chǒu changes to a 2nd tone (35) rising pitch.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse with chou4 (smelly/bad, 4th tone), which drops sharply without dipping.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Trace a checkmark in the air: dip down from your chest level and sweep sharply up to your chin.
3. Writing
Topology: Single character · Strokes: 4 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the vertical center line balanced; the horizontal strokes should be evenly spaced with the final horizontal stroke spanning wider to anchor the base.
4. Components
Radical𠫓 · Clasp Radical (claw or hand)
A classic pictographic character representing a hand or a twisted claw clutching something, later borrowed to mean the 12 earthly branches and a theatrical clown.
𠫓 Hand or claw element
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
9· Phonetic Root: 丑 (chǒu)
5. History
Liushu category: Pictogram (象形)
Origin: Originally depicted a hand or a claw grasping something with effort (hence the sense of binding, gripping, or struggling). It was later borrowed phonetically to represent the second earthly branch (chǒu) and eventually used for the clown role in Chinese opera.
Semantic Evolution: From an ancient hand/claw glyph to designating time (1-3 AM, Year of the Ox) and dramatic roles (clown).
In traditional Chinese timekeeping, the 'chǒu' hour spans from 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM.
In traditional theatre, the clown (chǒujiǎo) is a witty and humorous character who breaks the fourth wall.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
sửu
Vietnamese hỏi tone matches the Mandarin 3rd tone dipping contour.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: チュウ (chuu) / Kun: うし (ushi)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
축
Sound Shift Bridge: Corresponds to Sino-Xenic readings starting with ch- or ts- and ending in -u/w.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
Picture a theatrical clown (chǒu) wearing an ox mask, holding up two fingers to represent the 2nd earthly branch of the zodiac.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
钮
niǔbuttonAdd the metal radical (钅) to chǒu to get a metal button.
扭
niǔto twist / to turnAdd the hand radical (扌) to chǒu to twist or turn with your hands.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
刀(dāo)
dāo (knife) has a hooked stroke, whereas chǒu has closed boxed/horizontal lines forming its 4 strokes.
日(rì)
rì (sun) is closed completely at the bottom, whereas chǒu has an open bottom structure beneath its top cap.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
明年是农历[___]年。
Clue: chǒu niú
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing the tone with chòu (smelly, 4th tone), leading to awkward mistakes when talking about the Year of the Ox.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does '丑' mean when used in Peking opera or the 12 earthly branches?
Production: How do you write and pronounce the character for 'clown' or the 2nd earthly branch (Chou3)?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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丑chǒuclown, 2nd earthly branch (Ox)
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