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1. Do you believe that your Chinese zodiac matches your personality?
2. Why do you think the Chinese zodiac uses animals instead of stars?
3. If it's your zodiac year, what special things might you need to do to have a lucky year?
Unlike the Western zodiac that uses months and star signs , the Chinese zodiac is based on the year of your birth and features twelve unique animal signs . Each animal has its own intriguing story and characteristics, influencing personality and destiny . Join us as we explore the history, traditions, and meanings behind this ancient system, and learn why this might be your year of good fortune if you wear something red, according to your Chinese zodiac sign!
M at Hello, today we are talking about the zodiac. Now, in my culture, we have signs of the zodiac. I know that the Western concept of the zodiac was used around the time of the Romans … and I think the ancient Greeks. It's pretty simple—the calendar year is divided into 12 equal parts, kind of like months, but not the same as months. They are about 30 days long, and these are divided according to the movement of the stars. And your birth date decides your zodiac “star sign.” Pretty simple.
So, my birthday is the 22nd of September. So according to the Western idea of the zodiac, that means my sign is “Virgo.” So, my first question today is: how is the Chinese zodiac system different to the Western system?
J ocelyn Well, the most obvious difference is that the Chinese zodiac uses the year of your birth, not the month or calendar date of your birth. The Chinese zodiac also has 12 signs, but these are animals—quite different from the Western system. So, a person's “animal sign” is decided by the year when they were born.
M at OK—so you just mentioned that there are 12 animal signs. What are the 12 animals?
J ocelyn The Chinese zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the rat, and then the following signs in this order: ox , tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat , monkey, rooster , dog, and pig.
M at Now, in the Western zodiac system, the order of the signs, one follows the other, then the next one. The order follows the movement of different stars in the sky. Is it the same for the Chinese zodiac? Do the animals represent different stars in the sky? And how is the order decided?
J ocelyn There are different opinions about this. Many people believe it's based on an ancient tale. It goes a little like this ...
The story says that the Jade Emperor —one of the most important gods in traditional Chinese religion—invited all the animals in the world to take part in a race.
Twelve animals agreed to enter the race: pig, dog, rooster, monkey, goat, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox, and rat.
The race included a very big river—the clever rat used its brain to cross the river by persuading the kind ox to let it sit on its head as it crossed. On the other side, after crossing the river on the head of the ox, the rat ran to the finish line to be the winner of the race, and the ox came in second place. That's why the rat is the first animal in the zodiac, followed by the ox.
The story is quite long. It tells us what happened to each animal in the race, and in what order each animal finished the race.
I will jump to the end of the race—the last two animals are the dog and the pig. When the dog arrived at the river, it became very excited and just wanted to play in the water, splashing around, instead of crossing it. So, the dog finished almost last.
In the last place was the pig. The pig felt hungry during the race. After stopping for some food, it became sleepy and decided to take a nap. When the pig woke up, all the other animals had already finished the race.
As a reward for finishing the race, the Emperor gave each animal a year in the zodiac in the order they finished.
M at That's a great story, and it uses the typical characteristics of each animal. The rat is smart, the dog is playful, and the pig is kind of lazy. So, does that mean people under one animal sign will have the characteristics of that animal? Are people born in the year of the rat … are they usually clever? Are people born in the year of the dog very playful? And are people born in the year of the pig, people like me, are we lazy and greedy?
J ocelyn Well, actually, most Chinese people believe that animal zodiac signs can say something about a person's personality and even a person's future success, luck, or destiny.
So, you just said your sign is the pig, so that means you are honest, lucky, easy-going, educated, and you like fancy or luxurious things. Does that sound about right?
M at … lucky, easy-going, educated, and I like fancy or luxurious things … Yeah, I think that kind of sounds like me. Let me ask you another question. My son was born in the year of the monkey. What are the characteristics of people born in the year of the monkey?
J ocelyn People born in the year of the monkey can be described as cheerful and energetic by nature and usually represent flexibility. People under the sign of the monkey are active, energetic, intelligent, confident, charismatic, loyal, and inventive or creative.
M at I think that's quite a good description of my son. Now, I have also heard that when your year comes around—for example, I was born in the year of the pig, so during the year of the pig, during my “ zodiac year ”—do I need to do anything special?
J ocelyn Many people believe that when it's your zodiac year, you will face certain challenges. To have a lucky year, to overcome challenges and difficulties, you should wear something red throughout the year. This could be a red belt, a red bracelet, or even a red pair of socks. Some people believe that you should wear an item of jewellery with your animal on it, like a bracelet with a pig on it, or something like that.
Look at the mind map below and try to introduce Chinese zodiac in English.
zodiac 生肖
The “zodiac” is a system used to represent the 12 animal signs. Each year is linked to a specific animal, and people believe that the animal of the year can affect a person's personality and life.
star sign 星座
A “star sign” is a term from the Western zodiac system. It is based on your birth month and the position of the stars at that time. For example, if you are born in September, your star sign might be Virgo.
animal sign 属相
Your “animal sign” is determined by the year you were born, according to the Chinese zodiac system. Each person is born under one of the 12 animals, and they are thought to share certain traits with that animal.
destiny 命
“Destiny” is the idea that events in your life are meant to happen in a certain way. In Chinese culture, it is believed that your animal sign can influence your destiny, affecting your luck and future success.
ox 牛
The “ox” is one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. People born in the year of the ox are often seen as hardworking, strong, and reliable.
goat 羊
The “goat” is also one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. People born in the year of the goat are believed to be calm, kind, and gentle.
rooster 鸡
The “rooster” is one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. People born in the year of the rooster are often seen as confident, energetic, and organised.
Jade Emperor 玉皇大帝
The “Jade Emperor” is an important god in Chinese culture. According to Chinese legend, the Jade Emperor organised a race to decide the order of the animals in the zodiac.
year of the rat 鼠年
The “year of the rat” is the first year in the Chinese zodiac. People born in this year are believed to be clever, quick-witted, and resourceful.
zodiac year 本命年
The “zodiac year” is the specific year associated with each animal in the Chinese zodiac cycle. This year can influence people's luck and personality traits.
one zodiac cycle 一轮（12年）
The “one zodiac cycle” is the repeating 12-year cycle in the Chinese zodiac. Each year is associated with one of the 12 animals, and the cycle repeats every 12 years.
heavenly stems 天干
“Heavenly stems” are the 10 elements used in the Chinese system of timekeeping. These stems are combined with the earthly branches to form a 60-year cycle, which helps in determining years in the Chinese zodiac.
earthly branches 地支
“Earthly branches” are the 12 signs used in the Chinese system of timekeeping. They are paired with the 10 heavenly stems to create a 60-year cycle, with each branch also corresponding to one of the 12 animal signs in the Chinese zodiac.
Chinese Astrology 占星术
“Chinese astrology” is the study of how the positions of the stars, planets, and zodiac animals affect people's personalities, fortunes, and relationships. It is an ancient system used for understanding the influence of cosmic forces.
fortune 运势
“Fortune” in Chinese astrology refers to the luck or success someone may experience in a given year, based on their zodiac sign and the animal of that year's cycle.
fortune telling 算命
“Fortune telling” is when someone tries to predict a person's future or important events in their life using different methods. In Chinese culture, it is common to ask a fortune teller for advice when making big decisions in life.
fortune teller 算命先生
A “fortune teller” is a person who uses special methods, like astrology or palm reading, to predict the future and give advice.
palm reading 看手相
“Palm reading” is the practice of looking at the lines and shapes on a person's hands to understand their personality or predict their future. In Chinese culture, it is a well-known way of fortune telling, where a fortune teller studies the palms to find clues about someone's life.
face reading 相面
“Face reading” is when a person's face is studied to predict their personality, health, or future. It is part of traditional Chinese practices, and it is believed that the features and shape of someone's face can reveal important things about their life.
horoscope 星座运势
A “horoscope” is a prediction about a person's future based on their star sign. In Western culture, horoscopes are often used to provide insights into a person's personality, luck, and what might happen in their life. They are commonly found in newspapers and magazines.
For multiple-choice questions, choose the right answer. For all the other questions, write short answers below.
1. What is the most significant difference between the Western and Chinese Zodiac systems?
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2. According to the text, the signs can give information about a person's. (choose THREE)
a) character
b) future success
c) health
d) destiny
3. In the story about the race, how did the rat finish first?
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4. In the sentence “to overcome challenges and difficulties, you should wear something red,” what does “overcome” mean? (write a simple definition)
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5. What is Mat's Western star sign and Chinese animal sign?
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