丑
choǔ · HSK 5
clown
🤡 choǔ sounds like 'show' — a shameful show on stage
丑 also names the second Earthly Branch (the Ox) and the clown role in Chinese opera, so the 'ugly/shameful' sense connects to the painted-face clown performer. Sound hook: choǔ ≈ show.
丑 — hand 又 with claw-like nail strokes
丑 originally pictured a hand (又) with extended fingernails or claws gripping something, suggesting twisting or binding. It became the second Earthly Branch and a name for the ox in the zodiac. The modern 'ugly' meaning comes from later borrowing — it was adopted as the simplified form of unrelated 醜.