---
title: "Planets, Stars and Star Signs in Chinese: Names With Pinyin and Sound, From 水星 to 双鱼座"
description: "51 names for the sky in Chinese: the eight planets, the sun, moon and stars, the twelve star signs, the Chinese constellations and space words, each with pinyin, its meaning and sound."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-planets-and-stars"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Free · 51 words

# Planets, stars and star signs in Chinese

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E6%B0%B4%E6%98%9F%20%E9%87%91%E6%98%9F%20%E5%9C%B0%E7%90%83%20%E7%81%AB%E6%98%9F%20%E6%9C%A8%E6%98%9F%20%E5%9C%9F%E6%98%9F%20%E5%A4%A9%E7%8E%8B%E6%98%9F%20%E6%B5%B7%E7%8E%8B%E6%98%9F%20%E5%86%A5%E7%8E%8B%E6%98%9F%20%E5%A4%AA%E9%98%B3%20%E6%9C%88%E4%BA%AE%20%E6%98%9F%E6%98%9F%20%E8%A1%8C%E6%98%9F%20%E6%81%92%E6%98%9F%20%E5%8D%AB%E6%98%9F%20%E6%B5%81%E6%98%9F%20%E5%BD%97%E6%98%9F%20%E6%BB%A1%E6%9C%88%20%E6%97%A5%E9%A3%9F%20%E6%9C%88%E9%A3%9F%20%E6%98%9F%E5%BA%A7%20%E7%99%BD%E7%BE%8A%E5%BA%A7%20%E9%87%91%E7%89%9B%E5%BA%A7%20%E5%8F%8C%E5%AD%90%E5%BA%A7%20%E5%B7%A8%E8%9F%B9%E5%BA%A7%20%E7%8B%AE%E5%AD%90%E5%BA%A7%20%E5%A4%84%E5%A5%B3%E5%BA%A7%20%E5%A4%A9%E7%A7%A4%E5%BA%A7%20%E5%A4%A9%E8%9D%8E%E5%BA%A7%20%E5%B0%84%E6%89%8B%E5%BA%A7%20%E6%91%A9%E7%BE%AF%E5%BA%A7%20%E6%B0%B4%E7%93%B6%E5%BA%A7%20%E5%8F%8C%E9%B1%BC%E5%BA%A7%20%E5%9B%9B%E8%B1%A1%20%E4%BA%8C%E5%8D%81%E5%85%AB%E5%AE%BF%20%E5%8C%97%E6%96%97%E4%B8%83%E6%98%9F%20%E5%8C%97%E6%9E%81%E6%98%9F%20%E7%89%9B%E9%83%8E%E6%98%9F%20%E7%BB%87%E5%A5%B3%E6%98%9F%20%E5%90%AF%E6%98%8E%E6%98%9F%20%E9%93%B6%E6%B2%B3%20%E5%AE%87%E5%AE%99%20%E5%A4%AA%E7%A9%BA%20%E9%93%B6%E6%B2%B3%E7%B3%BB%20%E6%98%9F%E7%B3%BB%20%E9%BB%91%E6%B4%9E%20%E5%A4%96%E6%98%9F%E4%BA%BA%20%E7%81%AB%E7%AE%AD%20%E5%AE%87%E8%88%AA%E5%91%98%20%E6%9C%9B%E8%BF%9C%E9%95%9C%20%E5%A4%A9%E6%96%87%E5%AD%A6)

Speed

## The planets

shuǐ水xīng星

Mercury (planet)

jīn金xīng星

Venus (planet)

dì地qiú球

the earth; globe

huǒ火xīng星

Mars (planet)

mù木xīng星

Jupiter (planet)

tǔ土xīng星

Saturn (planet)

tiān天wáng王xīng星

Uranus (planet)

hǎi海wáng王xīng星

Neptune (planet)

míng冥wáng王xīng星

Pluto (dwarf planet)

## Sun, moon and stars

tài太yáng阳

sun

yuè月liang亮

the moon

xīng星xing星

star (in the sky)

xíng行xīng星

planet

héng恒xīng星

star (sun-like body)

wèi卫xīng星

satellite

liú流xīng星

meteor; shooting star

huì彗xīng星

comet

mǎn满yuè月

full moon

rì日shí食

solar eclipse

yuè月shí食

lunar eclipse

## Star signs

xīng星zuò座

constellation

bái白yáng羊zuò座

Aries (zodiac sign)

jīn金niú牛zuò座

Taurus (constellation and zodiac sign)

shuāng双zǐ子zuò座

Gemini (constellation and zodiac sign)

jù巨xiè蟹zuò座

Cancer (constellation and zodiac sign)

shī狮zi子zuò座

Leo (constellation and zodiac sign)

chù处nǚ女zuò座

Virgo (zodiac sign)

tiān天chèng秤zuò座

Libra (zodiac sign)

tiān天xiē蝎zuò座

Scorpio; Scorpius

shè射shǒu手zuò座

Sagittarius (constellation and zodiac sign)

mó摩jié羯zuò座

Capricorn (zodiac sign)

shuǐ水píng瓶zuò座

Aquarius (zodiac sign)

shuāng双yú鱼zuò座

Pisces (zodiac sign)

## Chinese stars and constellations

sì四xiàng象

the Four Symbols (Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise)

èr二shí十bā八xiù宿

the 28 lunar mansions (of Chinese astronomy)

běi北dǒu斗qī七xīng星

the Big Dipper

běi北jí极xīng星

North Star; Polaris

niú牛láng郎xīng星

Altair (star)

zhī织nǚ女xīng星

Vega (star)

qǐ启míng明xīng星

Venus as the morning star

yín银hé河

the Milky Way

## Space

yǔ宇zhòu宙

universe; cosmos

tài太kōng空

outer space; space

yín银hé河xì系

Milky Way galaxy

xīng星xì系

galaxy; star system

hēi黑dòng洞

black hole

wài外xīng星rén人

alien; extraterrestrial

huǒ火jiàn箭

rocket

yǔ宇háng航yuán员

astronaut

wàng望yuǎn远jìng镜

telescope; binoculars

tiān天wén文xué学

astronomy

## Why are the planets named after the five elements?

The five planets seen without a telescope were named for the five elements: 水星 (shuǐxīng, Mercury) is the water star, 金星 (jīnxīng, Venus) metal, 火星 (huǒxīng, Mars) fire, 木星 (mùxīng, Jupiter) wood and 土星 (tǔxīng, Saturn) earth. The later ones translate their European names: 天王星 (tiānwángxīng, Uranus) is the heavenly king and 海王星 (hǎiwángxīng, Neptune) the sea king.

## How do you ask someone’s star sign in Chinese?

你是什么星座？(Nǐ shì shénme xīngzuò?) means “What’s your star sign?”. The answer is a sign plus 座 (zuò): 我是狮子座 (shīzizuò, Leo).

## What are the Chinese constellations?

Chinese astronomy divides the sky into 二十八宿 (èrshíbāxiù, the 28 lunar mansions), grouped under 四象 (sìxiàng, the Four Symbols): the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise.

## Which stars are the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl?

牛郎星 (niúlángxīng, Altair) and 织女星 (zhīnǚxīng, Vega), on either side of 银河 (yínhé, the Milky Way). In the legend they meet once a year, on 七夕 (Qīxī), Chinese Valentine’s Day.

## Can’t hear it?

Play uses your device’s Mandarin voice. Edge, Chrome and Safari have one; a browser with none plays each character in our recorded voice instead.

## More on the sky

- [The Chinese zodiac animals](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac)
- [Names from Chinese mythology](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-mythology-names)
- [The Chinese calendar](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-calendar)
- [Chinese dynasties in order](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dynasties)

Names, pinyin and meanings from our own dictionary.