Culture
The Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese zodiac (生肖, shēngxiào) is a 12-year cycle, with each year associated with an animal. Your animal is determined by your birth year in the lunar calendar.
| Character | Pinyin | Animal |
|---|---|---|
| shǔ | rat | |
| niú | ox | |
| hǔ | tiger | |
| tù | rabbit | |
| lóng | dragon | |
| shé | snake | |
| mǎ | horse | |
| yáng | goat / sheep | |
| hóu | monkey | |
| jī | rooster | |
| gǒu | dog | |
| zhū | pig |
To ask "what's your zodiac?" Chinese say 你 属 什么? (Nǐ shǔ shénme?) — literally "you belong to what?" The reply uses 属: 我 属 龙。 "I'm a dragon."
The dragon (龙) is the only mythical animal in the cycle and is considered the most auspicious.
Quiz
Pick the best answer for each question. You get feedback right away.
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How many animals are in the Chinese zodiac?
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Which is the only mythical animal in the cycle?
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我 属 龙 means: