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羝 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
羝dīram, he-goatg, 11 strokes, radical 羊
羝dībilly goatunknown, 11 strokes, radical 羊
dī(di1) T1
  1. 1ram, he-goat
  2. 2billy goat
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

羝dī(di1)

The character 羝 (dī) refers to a ram or male goat, particularly a billy goat. It is often used in literary contexts or discussions related to livestock and farming, emphasizing its significance in Chinese culture as a symbol of strength and vitality.

Strokes11Radical羊
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, goats are often associated with prosperity and auspiciousness, particularly during the Lunar New Year celebrations. The ram, as a strong and resilient animal, symbolizes good fortune and is considered a favorable sign in various traditions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a muscular ram standing proudly on a hill, its horns curving like the character 羝. The '羊' radical at the bottom resembles a sheep, while the '低' component suggests it is low to the ground, emphasizing its strength as it grazes.

Meanings of 羝

dī(di1)
1ram, he-goat
2billy goat
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 羝

羝Simplified
11Strokes
羊Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 羝

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Podcast: 羝

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AI Study Notes for 羝

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 羝 with similar characters like 羊 (yáng), which means sheep in general. It's used more in formal or literary contexts, so it's important to know when to use it appropriately. Be cautious of the fourth tone, as mispronunciation can alter understanding.

HSK Study Tips

Although 羝 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, learners should note that it relates to 羊 (yáng) at HSK Level 1. Students should focus on differentiating between this character and other characters related to livestock and ensure familiarity with the radicals involved.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 羝 with 羊, using them interchangeably in sentences. For example, saying '我养了三只羝' (I raise three rams) instead of '我养了三只羊' (I raise three sheep) can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 羝

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Etymology of 羝

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

sheep

Semantic (meaning)羊
+
Phonetic (sound)氐
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 羝

  1. 1The meaning half羊 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half氐 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysheep
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 羝? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 羝?

Decomposition of 羝

IDS Structure⿰羊氐
羝Full Character
=
羊Yang2
left
氐Di1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 羝?

How to say ram, he-goat in Chinese

“ram, he-goat” in Chinese is羝dī

The character 羝 (dī) refers to a ram or male goat, particularly a billy goat. It is often used in literary contexts or discussions related to livestock and farming, emphasizing its significance in Chinese culture as a symbol of strength and vitality.

When to use 羝

Common mistakes include confusing 羝 with similar characters like 羊 (yáng), which means sheep in general. It's used more in formal or literary contexts, so it's important to know when to use it appropriately. Be cautious of the fourth tone, as mispronunciation can alter understanding.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 羝 with 羊, using them interchangeably in sentences. For example, saying '我养了三只羝' (I raise three rams) instead of '我养了三只羊' (I raise three sheep) can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 羝

羝

Practice writing 羝 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 羝

Words Containing This Character2
羝dīram
羝羊触藩trapped羝羊觸藩
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 羝 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 羝

羝 specifically refers to a male goat or ram, while 羊 is a general term for sheep and can refer to both male and female.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 羝?

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