黄牛 (huáng niú) — (literal) ox, cattle (a type of bovine); (figurative, slang) scalper, ticket tout; (figurative, slang) a person who fails to keep promises or shirks responsibility

Definition

Literally an ox, but 卖黄牛 means scalping tickets. 放黄牛 means to stand someone up — committing and then not showing.

noun
(literal) oxcattle (a type of bovine)(figurative, slang) scalperticket tout(figurative, slang) a person who fails to keep promises or shirks responsibility
Measure word · 头

Examples

  • 黄牛。
    Nóng mín zài tián lǐ yǎng le jǐ tóu huáng niú.
    The farmer raised several oxen in the fields.
  • 黄牛。
    Yǎn chàng huì mén kǒu yǒu hěn duō huáng niú zài mài gāo jià piào.
    There are many scalpers selling overpriced tickets outside the concert venue.
  • 黄牛，。
    Tā yòu fàng huáng niú le, shuō guò yào lái de jié guǒ méi lái.
    He stood me up again — said he would come but didn't.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

黄huángyellow
牛niúox

The “黄” yellow and “牛” ox give the literal yellow ox, later used for a ticket scalper.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

牛 is drawn as a bull's head, with two horns and two ears.

Open 牛 →

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