牛肉

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 牛肉 is read as ぎゅうにく and is a noun for beef used as a food ingredient.
• Basic usage: Pairing it with vegetables appears in 牛肉と野菜, while thinly sliced beef appears in 薄切りの牛肉.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Ingredient pairing and form
  • と connects it with another ingredient, while a preparation or shape such as 薄切りの modifies it from the front.
• Difference from 牛
  • 牛 can denote the living animal, whereas 牛肉 specifically identifies beef as food.