十二生肖 The Chinese Zodiac

在zài中国Zhōngguó，问wèn别人biéren的de年龄niánlíng有时候yǒu shíhou不bú太tài礼貌lǐmào，所以suǒyǐ人们rénmen常常chángcháng先xiān问wèn别人biéren属shǔ什么shénme。

In China, asking someone's age can be a bit impolite, so people often first ask what zodiac animal you were born under.

十二shí'èr生肖shēngxiào是shì十二shí'èr种zhǒng动物dòngwù，一yì年nián一yì种zhǒng，十二shí'èr年nián以后yǐhòu又yòu从cóng第一dì-yī种zhǒng开始kāishǐ。

The twelve zodiac signs are twelve animals, one animal per year; after twelve years it starts again from the first one.

我wǒ属shǔ马mǎ，我wǒ妈妈māma也yě属shǔ马mǎ，我们wǒmen正好zhènghǎo差chà二十四èrshísì岁suì。

I was born in the year of the horse, and so was my mother; we are exactly twenty-four years apart.

每měi年nián过年guònián的de时候shíhou，商店shāngdiàn里lǐ到处dàochù都dōu是shì那nà一yì年nián的de动物dòngwù。

Every year at New Year, that year's animal is everywhere in the shops.

听说tīngshuō属shǔ龙lóng的de孩子háizi特别tèbié受欢迎shòu huānyíng，所以suǒyǐ龙lóng年nián出生chūshēng的de孩子háizi特别tèbié多duō。

People say children born in the year of the dragon are especially welcome, so there are especially many babies born in dragon years.

不过búguò我wǒ觉得juéde，人rén的de性格xìnggé跟gēn出生chūshēng的de那nà一yì年nián没有méiyǒu多duō大dà关系guānxi。

I do think, though, that a person's character has little to do with the year they were born.

只要zhǐyào努力nǔlì，属shǔ什么shénme都dōu一样yíyàng。

As long as you work hard, it makes no difference which animal year you were born in.

但是dànshì我wǒ还是háishi喜欢xǐhuan这zhè个ge问题wèntí，因为yīnwèi它tā让ràng两liǎng个ge刚gāng认识rènshi的de人rén马上mǎshàng就jiù有yǒu了le可以kěyǐ聊liáo的de东西dōngxi。

But I still like the question, because it instantly gives two people who have just met something to chat about.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

生肖shēngxiàoChinese zodiac animal

属shǔto be born in the year of

礼貌lǐmàopolite; manners

正好zhènghǎoexactly; just right

性格xìnggépersonality; character

到处dàochùeverywhere

只要……都/就…… — as long as…

只要 gives the one condition that is enough, and 都 or 就 states the result: 只要努力，属什么都一样。

只要有时间，我就去图书馆看书。— As long as I have time, I go and read at the library.

跟……没有关系 — to have nothing to do with…

A 跟 B 有/没有关系 says whether two things are connected; 多大 before 关系 softens it to "not much".

这件事跟他没有关系。— This matter has nothing to do with him.

到处都是…… — … is everywhere

到处 means "all over the place" and is normally followed by 都, showing there are no exceptions.

下雪以后，路上到处都是水。— After the snow, there was water all over the road.

1. Why do people often ask which zodiac animal you were born under?

2. Which animal year were the author and their mother born in?

3. What does the author think about character and birth year?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.