The Origin of the Chinese Zodiac

Thursday, January 12, 2023

There are many stories and fables to explain the beginning of the zodiac. Since the Han Dynasty, the twelve Earthly Branches (Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, you, Xu and Hai) have been used to record the time of day. However, for the sake of entertainment and convenience, they have been replaced by the twelve animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig), and a mnemonic refers to the behavior of the animals. Earthly Branches may refer to a double-hour period.

Earthly Branches, 天干地支, tian gan di zhi
zǐ shí：23:00-1:00，lǎo shǔ zuì huó yuè，zǐ shǔ
子 时 ：23:00-1:00，老 鼠 最 活 跃 ，子 鼠
Zi: 23:00-1:00, Rats are most active in seeking food. Rats also have a different number of digits on front and hind legs, thus earning Rat the symbol of "turn over" or "new start“

chǒu shí：1:00-3:00，niú chī yè cǎo，nónɡ jiā yào qǐ chuánɡ wèi niú，chǒu niú
丑 时 ：1:00-3:00，牛 吃 夜 草 ，农 家 要 起 床 喂 牛 ，丑 牛
Chou: 1:00-3:00, The ox is used to eating grass at night and farmers often get up in the midnight and feed them.

yín shí：3:00-5:00，zhòu fú yè xínɡ de lǎo hǔ zuì xiōnɡ měnɡ，yín hǔ
寅 时 ：3:00-5:00，昼 伏 夜 行 的 老 虎 最 凶 猛 ，寅 虎
Yin : 3:00-5:00, Tigers hunt their prey more and show their ferocity

mǎo shí：5:00-7:00, tù zǐ yào chū dònɡ，chī dài yǒu lù shuǐ de qīnɡ cǎo，mǎo tù
卯 时 ：5:00-7:00,兔 子 要 出 洞 ，吃 带 有 露 水 的 青 草 ，卯 兔
Mao: 5:00-7:00. The rabbits should come out of their burrows and eat the grass with dew

chén shí; 7:00-9:00, rónɡ yì qǐ wù de shí hòu，chuán shuō lónɡ kě yǐ ténɡ yún jià wù，chén lónɡ
辰 时 :7:00-9:00,容 易 起 雾 的 时 候 ，传 说 龙 可 以 腾 云 驾 雾，辰 龙
Chen: 7:00-9:00, Dragons are hovering in the sky to give rain.

sì shí：9:00-11:00，shé zài cǐ kè zuì huó yuè，sì shé
巳 时 ：9:00-11:00，蛇 在 此 刻 最 活 跃 ，巳 蛇
Si: 9:00-11:00, the snake is the most active at this moment, snake

wǔ shí ： 11:00-13:00 ， ɡǔ shí yě mǎ wèi bèi rén lèi xùn fú ， měi dānɡ wǔ shí ， sì chù bēn pǎo sī mínɡ ， ɡù chēnɡ “ wǔ mǎ ” 。
午 时 ： 11:00-13:00 ， 古 时 野 马 未 被 人 类 驯 服 ， 每 当 午 时 ， 四 处 奔 跑 嘶 鸣 ， 故 称 “ 午 马 ” 。
Wu: 11:00-13:00 ，The sun is high overhead and while other animals are lying down for a rest, horses are still standing

wèi shí ： 13:00-15:00 ， yì si shì fànɡ yánɡ de hǎo shí hou ， ɡù chēnɡ “ wèi yánɡ ” 。
未 时 ： 13:00-15:00 ， 意 思 是 放 羊 的 好 时 候 ， 故 称 “ 未 羊 ” 。
Wei: 13:00-15:00 , Goats eat grass and urinate frequently.

shēn shí ： 15:00-17:00 ， tài yánɡ piān xī le ， hóu zi xǐ zài cǐ shí tí jiào ， ɡù chēnɡ “ shēn hóu ” 。
申 时 ： 15:00-17:00 ， 太 阳 偏 西 了 ， 猴 子 喜 在 此 时 啼 叫 ， 故 称 “ 申 猴 ” 。
Shen: 15:00-17:00 ，Monkeys are lively.

yǒu shí ： 17:00-19:00 ， tài yánɡ luò shān le ， jī zài wō qián dǎ zhuǎn ， ɡù chēnɡ “ yǒu jī ” 。
酉 时 ： 17:00-19:00 ， 太 阳 落 山 了 ， 鸡 在 窝 前 打 转 ， 故 称 “ 酉 鸡 ” 。
You: 17:00-19:00 ，Roosters begin to get back to their coops.

xū shí ： 19:00-21:00 ， rén láo lù yì tiān ， shuān mén zhǔn bèi xiū xi le 。 ɡǒu wò mén qián shǒu hù ， yì yǒu dònɡ jinɡ ， jiù wānɡ wānɡ dà jiào ， ɡù chēnɡ “ xū ɡǒu ” 。
戌 时 ： 19:00-21:00 ， 人 劳 碌 一 天 ， 闩 门 准 备 休 息 了 。 狗 卧 门 前 守 护 ， 一 有 动 静 ， 就 汪 汪 大 叫 ， 故 称 “ 戌 狗 ” 。
Xu: 19:00-21:00，Dogs carry out their duty of guarding the houses.

hài shí ： 21:00-23:00， yè shēn rén jìnɡ ， nénɡ tīnɡ jiàn zhū ɡǒnɡ cáo de shēnɡ yīn, ɡù chēnɡ “ hài zhū ”。
亥 时 ： 21:00-23:00， 夜 深 人 静 ， 能 听 见 猪 拱 槽 的 声 音 ， 故 称 “ 亥 猪 ” 。
Hai: 21:00-23:00，Pigs are sleeping sweetly.




Sign up for a free trial now!

FAQ / Tips

We offer a referral program that rewards both you and your friend with free classes.To participate, simply refer a friend to our program and once they successfully enroll, both you and your friend will receive free classes.We appreciate your support and look forward to helping you and your friend achieve your language learning goals.
Our learning is different from traditional language learning in a number of ways. Firstly, we use technology to enhance the learning experience and provide personalized learning paths for each student. Secondly, our focus is not just on language proficiency, but also on cultural understanding and practical application of the language.Thirdly, we place a strong emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills, as well as reading and writing.Additionally, we incorporate modern teaching methods and materials, such as multimedia resources and interactive exercises.Finally, our courses are designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing students to learn at their own pace and according to their own schedule.
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for all new students.If you are not satisfied with our services within the first month, you may cancel your lessons and receive a refund for any unused lessons.We will only charge you for the first month of lessons, and refund the remaining balance to you promptly.Our goal is to ensure your satisfaction with our services, and we strive to provide the highest quality of instruction and support to all of our students.
Certainly, we offer a complimentary 30 - minute trial lesson for you to experience our services before committing to a purchase.This will allow you to gain a better understanding of our qualified tutors, innovative teaching methods, comprehensive class materials, and more.We are committed to providing you with the highest level of service and ensuring your satisfaction with our courses.
Our instructors are highly skilled and experienced experts in Chinese language teaching, with proficiency in multiple languages. They hold at least a bachelor's degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, and possess extensive teaching experience and knowledge. Through a rigorous selection process and ongoing training, our instructors are equipped to provide students with authentic pronunciation, accurate language usage, and cultural background knowledge, all of which are essential for achieving mastery of the Chinese language.
Our teaching methodology is centered around our students and their individual learning objectives.We provide personalized learning plans, innovative and flexible teaching materials and methods, and strive to make learning Chinese a joyful and enjoyable experience.Our approach is designed to engage students and foster a deep understanding of the Chinese language, culture, and customs. We believe that learning should be fun and meaningful, and we work hard to ensure that every student enjoys their Chinese language learning journey with us.