Character breakdown
Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.
How to learn 蜗牛
Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.
When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.
Words with the same characters
Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.
cow's milk; CL:瓶[ping2],杯[bei1]
牛niúox; cow; bull; CL:條|条[tiao2],頭|头[tou2]; newton (abbr. for 牛頓|牛顿[niu2 dun4]); (slang) awesome; surname Niu
牛仔裤niúzǎikùjeans; CL:條|条[tiao2]
吹牛chuīniúto talk big; to brag; to shoot off one's mouth; (dialect) to chat idly
对牛弹琴duìniú-tánqínlit. to play the lute to a cow (idiom); fig. offering a treat to an unappreciative audience; to cast pearls before swine; caviar to the general; to preach to deaf ears; to talk over sb's head