What's your animal sign?

 

 Xīn Nián Kuài Lè!!! That's "happy new year" in Mandarin. Contrary to popular belief, what Westerners pronounce as "kung hei fat choi" (gōng xǐ fā cái) does not translate to "happy new year" but "congratulations and wishing you prosperity." If you want to get a red envelope (hong bao)  filled with crisp bills, say "Gōng xǐ fā cái, hóng bāo ná lái," which literally means "Congratulations and prosperity, give me a red envelope." 

Enough with the pinyin. In China, asking a lady about her age can be done surreptitiously. All you need to say is, "What's your animal sign?" Here's a guide to the Chinese zodiac for discovering your own animal sign, identifying characteristics that you likely possess, and finding people that you are most compatible with:

If you were born in the Year of the Rat(1900, 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008)

You are imaginative, charming, and generous. You have big ambitions, work hard to achieve your goals, and are a perfectionist. You tend to be quick-tempered and can be critical of others. You get along well with Dragons, Monkeys, and Oxen.

If you were born in the Year of the Ox(1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009)

You are a born leader and inspire confidence in others. You are methodical and skilled with your hands. Although generally easy-going, you can be stubborn and hot-tempered. You are most compatible with Snakes, Roosters, and Rats.

If you were born in the Year of the Tiger(1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010)

You are sensitive, emotional, and loving. You are a deep thinker, carefree and courageous, but you can be short-tempered and often come in conflict with people in authority. You find it hard to make up your mind and then make hasty decisions. You get along well with Horses, Dragons, and Dogs.

If you were born in the Year of the Rabbit(1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011)

You are talented and affectionate, and admired and trusted by others. You like to gossip, but are nonetheless tactful and kind. You are wise and even-tempered, and tend not to take risks. You are compatible with Goats, Pigs, and Dogs.

If you were born in the Year of the Dragon(1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012)

You are energetic, popular, and fun-loving. You are also honest, sensitive, and brave. You appear stubborn but are soft-hearted and sensitive on the inside. You are compatible with Rats, Snakes, Monkeys, and Roosters.

If you were born in the Year of the Snake(1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013)

You are a deep thinker and very wise. You are sympathetic and try to help those less fortunate, but sometimes you can also be quite selfish. Although you are calm on the surface, you are intense and determined in whatever you do. If you are a Snake, you are most compatible with the Ox and Rooster.

If you were born in the Year of the Horse(1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014)

You are popular, quick-witted, and adventurous. You are hardworking and very independent. You are wise and perceptive, but can be impatient and selfish sometimes. You get along with Tigers, Dogs, and Goats.

If you were born in the Year of the Goat/Ram(1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015)

You are creative, artistic, warm-hearted, and timid by nature. You are also gentle and compassionate. You strongly believe in what you do, but you can be pessimistic at times. You are compatible with Rabbits, Pigs, and Horses.

If you were born in the Year of the Monkey(1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016)

You are clever, skillful, and lots of fun. You are well-liked and make friends easily, but sometimes can’t be trusted (ouch!). You are strong-willed, good at making decisions and want to get on with things straight away. If you can’t you quickly become despondent. Monkeys get along with Dragons and Rats.

If you were born in the Year of the Rooster
(1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017)

You are hard-working, capable and talented. You like to be busy, are devoted to work and skilled at what you do. You are also good at making decisions. You are a little eccentric, outspoken, and sometimes selfish. Roosters are compatible with Oxen, Snakes, and Dragons.

If you were born in the Year of the Dog(1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)

You are born to succeed. You are loyal, honest, intelligent, and inspire confidence in others. You can be sharp-tongued and stubborn, and tend to worry too much. You are compatible with Horses, Tigers, and Rabbits.

If you were born in the Year of the Pig(1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019)

You are honest, reliable, and extremely loyal. You are quick-tempered, but you don’t like to argue. You are kind to those you love and make a good companion. You like to set goals for yourself and carry them out, but you can be too impulsive sometimes. Pigs will get along with Rabbits and Goats.


Gonegaga's Notes:

This chart was lifted from  Chinese Cinderella and The Secret Dragon Society. It's a children's book written by best-selling author Adeline Yen Mah about friendship, loyalty, and personal destiny. While Adeline denies that the character (and title of her first best-seller) Chinese Cinderella is not her, she admits that Chinese Cinderella and The Secret Society was based on a short story that she wrote when she was a child to entertain her friends. She called her story The Ruptured Duck. This Chinese New Year, I read this book that children--especially those fascinated by martial arts--will surely love. While this is children's fiction, it is based on a true incident which took place in China during the Second World War. Aside from the Chinese zodiac chart, it comes with an English translation of Chinese words and phrases written in both pinyin and Chinese characters.

If you want to learn more about the Chinese zodiac and how you can use it in your personal life, a good material that comes highly recommended by readers is Chinese Horoscope Guide to Relationships. Since the Chinese New Year coincides with Valentine's Day, the book is an apt read. It discusses the Twelve Earth Branches in the Relationship Tree, the triangle of affinity, the circle of conflict, and how the animal signs relate with one another as teacher, lover, business partner, boss, friend, colleague, opponent, and mediator. 

Happy Year of the Metal Tiger, everyone!