HSK 3 · Article · 288 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-my-chinese-zodiac-sign

你属什么？

What is my Chinese zodiac sign? How to ask 你属什么

Name: ________________ Date: ________

第一次dìyīcì去qù中国zhōngguó朋友péngyǒu家jiā吃饭chīfàn，朋友péngyǒu的de奶奶nǎinai问wèn我wǒ：“你nǐ属shǔ什么shénme？”

我wǒ不bù明白míngbai。“属”是shì什么shénme意思yìsi？我wǒ应该yīnggāi怎么zěnme回答huídá呢ne？

朋友péngyǒu笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“奶奶nǎinai想xiǎng知道zhīdào你nǐ是shì哪nǎ年nián出生chūshēng的de。”

在zài中国zhōngguó，一yì年nián有yǒu一个yígè动物dòngwù，十二shí’èr年nián就jiù有yǒu十二shí’èr个gè：鼠shǔ、牛niú、虎hǔ、兔tù、龙lóng、蛇shé、马mǎ、羊yáng、猴hóu、鸡jī、狗gǒu、猪zhū。十二shí’èr年nián以后yǐhòu，又yòu是shì第一dìyī个gè。

你nǐ是shì哪nǎ一yì年nián出生chūshēng的de，那nà一yì年nián是shì什么shénme动物dòngwù，你nǐ就jiù属shǔ什么shénme。比如bǐrú，2000年nián是shì龙年lóngnián，那年nànián出生chūshēng的de人rén会huì说shuō：“我wǒ属龙lóng。”今年jīnnián，2026年nián，是shì马mǎ年nián。

可是kěshì，新xīn的de一yì年nián不是búshì在zài1月yuè1号hào，是shì在zài春节chūnjié。所以suóyǐ，1月yuè或者huòzhě2月yuè出生chūshēng的de人rén，可能kěnéng属上一年shàngyìnián的de动物dòngwù。

为什么wèishénme奶奶nǎinai没有méiyǒu问wèn“你nǐ多大duōdà了le”？因为yīnwèi很hěn多duō老人lǎorén都dōu喜欢xǐhuān这样zhèyàng问wèn。知道zhīdào了le你nǐ属shǔ什么shénme，再zài看看kànkan你nǐ，就jiù知道zhīdào你nǐ今年jīnnián多大duōdà了le。

我wǒ说shuō：“我wǒ属狗shúgǒu。”

奶奶nǎinai看kàn了le看kàn我wǒ，说shuō：“你nǐ是shì2006年nián的de吧ba？我们wǒmen一样yíyàng！我wǒ比bǐ你nǐ大dà六十liùshí岁suì。”

我wǒ的de朋友péngyǒu在zài旁边pángbiān说shuō：“奶奶nǎinai，您nín怎么zěnme知道zhīdào他tā不是búshì1994年nián的de？”

奶奶nǎinai笑xiào了le：“我wǒ一yí看kàn他tā的de脸liǎn就jiù知道zhīdào了le。”

那nà你nǐ呢？你nǐ属shǔ什么shénme？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
奶奶	nǎinai	grandmother (father's mother); grandma
意思	yìsi	meaning; idea
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
这样	zhèyàng	like this; this way
旁边	pángbiān	beside; next to; nearby
明白	míngbai	to understand; to realize
回答	huídá	to answer; to reply; answer; reply
出生	chūshēng	to be born; birth
动物	dòngwù	animal
牛	niú	cow; ox; cattle
马	mǎ	(vulgar) mother (used in curses as a stand-in for 妈)
羊	yáng	sheep; goat

English (for the teacher)

The first time I went to a Chinese friend's home for dinner, my friend's grandma asked me, “What do you belong to?”

I didn't understand. What does “belong” mean? How was I supposed to answer?

My friend laughed. “Grandma wants to know what year you were born.”

In China each year has an animal, and twelve years have twelve: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig. After twelve years, it's back to the first.

Whatever animal the year you were born is, that's the one you “belong to”. For example, 2000 was a Year of the Dragon, so people born that year say, “I'm a Dragon.” This year, 2026, is a Year of the Horse.

But the new year doesn't start on the first of January. It starts at Spring Festival. So people born in January or February may belong to the year before's animal.

Why didn't Grandma just ask “How old are you?” Because lots of older people like to ask it this way. Once she knows your animal, one more look at you tells her how old you are this year.

I said, “I'm a Dog.”

Grandma looked at me. “Born in 2006, right? We're the same! I'm sixty years older than you.”

My friend asked, “Grandma, how do you know he wasn't born in 1994?”

Grandma laughed. “One look at his face tells me.”

What about you? What do you belong to?