12 地支[dì zhī] vs. 12生肖[shēng xào]

The Chinese use 12 生肖[shēng xào] to make 12 地支[dì zhī], "terrestrial branch" or "earth branch" become vivid and concrete, so it is easy to memorize as well.

What does the 生肖[shēng xào] mean?

The first word 生[shēng] means "creature or animal," and the second 肖[xào] is "image or to be like."

Take a look at the attached table "12 地支[dì zhī] vs. 12 生肖[shēng xào]" below, that 12 生肖[shēng xào] represent 12 Symbolic Animals.

The first one is "mouse" 鼠[shǔ] and the last one is "pig" 猪[zhū].

The "12 Symbolic Animals" has a deep influence on the Chinese culture, life, literature, and art including traditional weddings and funerals, fortune-telling, sacrificial ceremony, various festivals, etc.

Also, the term 地支[dì zhī] is usually used with 生肖[shēng xào] together.

For example, the Chinese say 子鼠[zǐ shǔ], 丑牛[chǒu niú], 寅虎[yín hǔ], and so on.

Note that the animal calendar begins on the day of 立春[lì chūn].

Therefore, this year 庚子年[gēng zǐ nián] is from February 4 of 2020 to February 2 of 2021, but the upcoming year is the year of 辛丑年[xīn chǒu nián] that begins on February 3 of 2021, based on the Gregorian calendar.

Obviously, 庚子年[gēng zǐ nián] is 鼠年[shǔ nián], the year of mouse, and 辛丑年[xīn chǒu nián] is 牛年[niú nián], the year of cattle.

How to count and give a new-born baby a Symbolic Animal?

For example, if the baby were born on the day between February 4 of 2020 to February 2 of 2021, its 生肖[shēng xào] would be "mouse" 鼠[shǔ] and if on February 3 of 2021, the baby's Symbolic Animal would be "cattle" 牛[niú].

12 地支[dì zhī] vs. 12 生肖[shēng xào]
	地支	Pinyin	生肖	Pinyin	English
1	子	zǐ	鼠	shǔ	mouse
2	丑	chǒu	牛	niú	cattle
3	寅	yín	虎	hǔ	tiger
4	卯	mǎo	兔	tù	rabbit
5	辰	chén	龙	lóng	dragon
6	巳	sì	蛇	shé	snake
7	午	wǔ	马	mǎ	horse
8	未	wèi	羊	yáng	sheep
9	申	shēn	猴	hóu	monkey
10	酉	yǒu	鸡	jī	chicken
11	戌	xū	狗	gǒu	dog
12	亥	hài	猪	zhū	pig