#CHINESE CALENDAR ZODIAC HOW TO#

If you want to ask someone what their Chinese zodiac animal is using Chinese, you can ask them: 你属什么？ (Traditional: 你屬什麼？) Nǐ shǔ shénme? This translates literally as “What do you belong to?” People sometimes also use this as a subtle way to ask how old someone is, since they can calculate it using this. In the end, the rat got there first, followed by the other animals. The animals raced to the meeting, crossing a river to get there. According to the story, the Jade Emperor ordered a meeting and announced that the years on the calendar would be named according to which animals got to the meeting first. The most common myth has to do with a great race that is said to have taken place in ancient times. There are many stories that explain the origin of the Chinese zodiac.

You may be wondering where this tradition came from. Each new year is represented by an animal, following this order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig.

The Chinese lunar new year usually starts on the second new moon after the winter solstice, around January or February. These animals each represent a year in a repeating 12-year cycle, based on the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. Basically, the Chinese zodiac is made up of 12 animals and are called 生肖 ( shēngxiào) in Chinese. You’ve probably heard a little about the Chinese zodiac before.

#CHINESE CALENDAR ZODIAC HOW TO#

Chinese New Year is coming up, and this year (2020) is the year of the rat! Read on to learn about the Chinese zodiac, and to find out what your Chinese zodiac animal is, what it means, and how to say it in Chinese!

Chinese calendar zodiac