University of Tasmania, Australia

Learn Chinese through Zodiac

In this UTAS Open Day public lecture, Isabel Wang provides an introduction to the Chinese language and Chinese language studies at UTas through an explanation of the twelve signs of the Chinese Zodiac. This lecture is presented by the UTAS Faculty of Arts.

Text from slideshow:

Shi'er Sheng xiao

Shi'er Sheng xiao is a kind of Chinese folk custom. It is a way to designate the years as the names of the animals. The twelve animals actually represent the twelve earthly branches, each animal symbolising one year. It is generally agreed that the association of the twelve earthly branches and the twelve animals started in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D.) and gained popularity in the first century A.D. Since the lunar calendar was formally adopted in the Han Dynasty, according to which the years were designated by the heavenly stems and the earthly branches, it is therefore logical to combine the twelve earthly branches with the twelve animals to designate the years. This combination follows a certain order, which goes like this: zi-shu (rat), chou-niu (ox), yin-hu (tiger), mao-tu (rabbit), chen-long (dragon), si-she (snake), wu-ma (horse), wei-yang (sheep), shen-hou (monkey), you-ji (rooster), xu-gou (dog), and hai-zhu (pig). It became more prevalent in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) when the patterns of the twelve animals became very popular on handicraft articles.

^{*'A hundred questions on the Chinese culture' (1999)}

The Chinese Zodiac

• The Sheng xiao (shēngxiào), better known as the Chinese Zodiac, are twelve animals, which are representative of years in some East Asian countries. Each year of the twelve-year cycle is named after one of the original twelve animals. Each animal has a different personality and different characteristics.
• The Chinese zodiac is also used in some other Asian countries that have been under the cultural influence of China. However, some of the animals in the Zodiac may differ by country.
• Legend has it that when Buddha convened the animal kingdom to determine how to restore order to the world, only twelve animals turned up.
• Knowing the signs of the zodiac is a way to find out a person's age without directly asking. 

 Rat

1912 | 1924 | 1936 | 1948 | 1960 | 1972 | 1984 | 1996 | 2008

Pronunciation: shǔ

Bull/Cow

1913 | 1925 | 1937 | 1949 | 1961 | 1973 | 1985 | 1997 | 2009

 Pronunciation: niú

Tiger

 1914 | 1926 | 1938 | 1950 | 1962 | 1974 | 1986 | 1998 | 2010

 Pronunciation: hǔ

Rabbit

 1915 | 1927 | 1939 | 1951 | 1963 | 1975 | 1987 | 1999 | 2011

 Pronunciation: tù

Dragon

 1916 | 1928 | 1940 | 1952 | 1964 | 1976 | 1988 | 2000 | 2012

 Pronunciation: lóng

Snake

 1917 | 1929 | 1941 | 1953 | 1965 | 1977 | 1989 | 2001 | 2013

 Pronunciation: shé

Horse

 1918 | 1930 | 1942 | 1954 | 1966 | 1978 | 1990 | 2002 | 2014

 Pronunciation: mǎ

Goat

 1919 | 1931 | 1943 | 1955 | 1967 | 1979 | 1991 | 2003 | 2015

 Pronunciation: yáng

Monkey

 1920 | 1932 | 1944 | 1956 | 1968 | 1980 | 1992 | 2004 | 2016

 Pronunciation: hóu

Rooster

 1921 | 1933 | 1945 | 1957 | 1969 | 1981 | 1993 | 2005 | 2017

 Pronunciation: jī

Dog

 1922 | 1934 | 1946 | 1958 | 1970 | 1982 | 1994 | 2006 | 2018

 Pronunciation: gǒu

Pig

 1923 | 1935 | 1947 | 1959 | 1971 | 1983 | 1995 | 2007 | 2019

 Pronunciation: zhū

What is your Chinese zodiac sign?

• 你是属什么的?

What is your Chinese zodiac sign?

• 我是属龙的。

I was born in the Year of the Dragon.

本(běn)命(mìng)年(nián)—the year of one’s zodiac sign*

• 今年是我的本命年。

It is currently the year of the zodiac sign in which I was born.

(I was born in the year of the dragon and it is the year of the dragon.)

*It's a cycle of 12 years.

2011 (The Year of Rabbit)

• Charming, Witty, Gallant, Wise
• (Recognize Yourself)?
• Stingy, Selfish, Cunning
• (must be somebody else!)
• Find Your Animal Year!