How to say "ox" in Japanese

• 牛うしJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe general word for cattle, covering cows, bulls, and oxen alike. When you simply mean the animal 'ox' without specifying sex or castration, this is the word to reach for, as in farm or zodiac contexts.
  父ちちは牧場ぼくじょうを持もっていて牛うしや馬うまを飼育しいくしている。↗

  My father has a ranch and breeds cattle and horses.
• 牡牛おうし
  nounRefers to an adult male bovine, i.e. a bull, and can also mean an ox or steer. It is less common than 牛, so use it only when the male sex of the animal is the point you want to make.
  やつらは雄牛おうしを丸焼まるやきにするくらいの火ひをおこしていた。↗

  They had lit a fire fit to roast an ox.
• 去勢牛きょせいうし
  nounSpecifically a castrated bovine, matching 'ox' and 'bullock' in the sense of a neutered draft or meat animal. It is a less common, technical term, and is seldom the everyday word you want unless castration is relevant.

Use 牛 for cattle in general including any ox, 牡牛 for an adult male (bull/ox), and 去勢牛 specifically for a castrated ox or bullock; the latter two are less common.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 牛うしcattle (Bos taurus)
• 牡牛おうしbull
• 去勢牛きょせいうしox