干支(えと)

えと
noun
Chinese zodiac, zodiac cycle
culturetime-general
1. Chinese zodiac, zodiac cycle, zodiac sign
The twelve-year cycle of animals used in East Asian calendars. Each year is associated with one of twelve animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. Commonly asked about in Japanese social conversation.
今年(ことし)の干支(えと)は何(なに)？
What's this year's zodiac animal?
私(わたし)の干支(えと)は辰(たつ)です。
My zodiac sign is the dragon.
年賀状(ねんがじょう)にはその年(とし)の干支(えと)の動物(どうぶつ)を描(えが)くのが定番(ていばん)だ。
It's customary to depict that year's zodiac animal on New Year's cards.

Usage

Strictly speaking, 干支(えと) refers to the full sexagenary cycle (十干十二支(じっかんじゅうにし)), combining the ten heavenly stems (十干(じっかん)) with the twelve earthly branches (十二支(じゅうにし)). In everyday Japanese, however, 干支(えと) is used to mean simply the twelve zodiac animals (十二支(じゅうにし)). Asking someone their 干支(えと) is a common way to indirectly find out their age.

The twelve animals

子(ね) (rat), 丑(うし) (ox), 寅(とら) (tiger), 卯(う) (rabbit), 辰(たつ) (dragon), 巳(み) (snake), 午(うま) (horse), 未(ひつじ) (sheep), 申(さる) (monkey), 酉(とり) (rooster), 戌(いぬ) (dog), 亥(い) (boar)

Common collocations

  • 干支(えと)は何(なに)？: What's your zodiac sign?
  • 今年(ことし)の干支(えと): this year's zodiac
  • 干支(えと)が一回(いっかい)り: one full zodiac cycle (12 years)
general
Added 2026.2.21 15:48 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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