{"id":781,"date":"2026-06-02T14:40:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T06:40:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/?page_id=781"},"modified":"2026-06-24T03:23:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:23:28","slug":"chinese-zodiac-animals-in-chinese","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/chinese-zodiac-animals-in-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese Zodiac Animals in Chinese: Names, Pinyin, Characters and Meanings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\n\/* The Zodiac Lore \u2014 Style B brand-unified *\/\n.tzl-page{\n  --bg:#fff;--ink:#0a0a0a;--soft:#3a3a3a;--grey:#5c5c5c;--muted:#9a9a9a;--line:#e6e6e6;\n  --accent:#e1391b;--accent-dark:#b02a12;\n  --sans:\"Archivo\",Arial,sans-serif;--mono:\"Spline Sans Mono\",ui-monospace,monospace;\n  --zh:\"Noto Sans SC\",\"PingFang SC\",\"Microsoft YaHei\",sans-serif;\n  max-width:1040px;margin:0 auto;color:var(--ink);background:var(--bg);\n  font-family:var(--sans);font-size:17px;line-height:1.7;\n}\n.tzl-page 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Branches?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"No. The animal words, such as \u9f20 for Rat and \u9a6c for Horse, are different from the Earthly Branches, such as \u5b50 and \u5348. The branch is the calendar layer, while the animal is the familiar zodiac label.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is the Chinese word for zodiac animal?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The common Chinese term for the zodiac animals is \u751f\u8096, pronounced sh\u0113ngxi\u00e0o. The full set of 12 animals is called \u5341\u4e8c\u751f\u8096, sh\u00ed'\u00e8r sh\u0113ngxi\u00e0o.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Why is \u7f8a translated as Goat, Sheep, or Ram?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"\u7f8a y\u00e1ng is broader than one English animal word and can be translated as Goat, Sheep, or Ram depending on context. 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Many zodiac animal characters are the same in traditional Chinese, but some, such as \u9f99 and \u9e21, have traditional forms \u9f8d and \u96de.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n\n<div class=\"tzl-page\">\n  <div class=\"tzl-hero\">\n    <div class=\"tzl-kicker\">Chinese Names \u00b7 \u5341\u4e8c\u751f\u8096<\/div>\n    <h2>Chinese Zodiac Animals in Chinese: <em>Names, Pinyin, Characters, and Meanings<\/em><\/h2>\n    <p><strong>The 12 Chinese zodiac animals are called <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5341\u4e8c\u751f\u8096<\/span> <em>sh\u00ed&#8217;\u00e8r sh\u0113ngxi\u00e0o<\/em> in Chinese.<\/strong> They are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.<\/p>\n    <p>This page gives the Chinese characters, pinyin, English names, Earthly Branches, and translation notes so English readers can understand what the zodiac names actually mean.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  \n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"quick-chart\">\n    <h2>12 Chinese zodiac animals in Chinese <em>quick chart<\/em><\/h2>\n    <p>The table below shows the familiar animal names in English, their Chinese characters, pinyin pronunciation, and Earthly Branches.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-table-wrap\">\n      <table class=\"tzl-table\">\n        <thead>\n          <tr>\n            <th>Order<\/th>\n            <th>English animal<\/th>\n            <th>Chinese animal name<\/th>\n            <th>Pinyin<\/th>\n            <th>Earthly Branch<\/th>\n            <th>Sign guide<\/th>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/thead>\n        <tbody>\n          <tr>\n            <td>1st<\/td>\n            <td>Rat<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f20<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>sh\u01d4<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50<\/span> z\u01d0<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rat\/\">Year of the Rat<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>2nd<\/td>\n            <td>Ox<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u725b<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>ni\u00fa<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4e11<\/span> ch\u01d2u<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-ox\/\">Year of the Ox<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>3rd<\/td>\n            <td>Tiger<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u864e<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>h\u01d4<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5bc5<\/span> y\u00edn<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-tiger\/\">Year of the Tiger<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>4th<\/td>\n            <td>Rabbit<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5154<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>t\u00f9<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u536f<\/span> m\u01ceo<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rabbit\/\">Year of the Rabbit<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>5th<\/td>\n            <td>Dragon<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f99<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>l\u00f3ng<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u8fb0<\/span> ch\u00e9n<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-dragon\/\">Year of the Dragon<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>6th<\/td>\n            <td>Snake<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u86c7<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>sh\u00e9<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5df3<\/span> s\u00ec<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-snake\/\">Year of the Snake<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>7th<\/td>\n            <td>Horse<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9a6c<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>m\u01ce<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5348<\/span> w\u01d4<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-horse\/\">Year of the Horse<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>8th<\/td>\n            <td>Goat<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7f8a<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>y\u00e1ng<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u672a<\/span> w\u00e8i<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-goat\/\">Year of the Goat<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>9th<\/td>\n            <td>Monkey<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7334<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>h\u00f3u<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7533<\/span> sh\u0113n<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-monkey\/\">Year of the Monkey<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>10th<\/td>\n            <td>Rooster<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9e21<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>j\u012b<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9149<\/span> y\u01d2u<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rooster\/\">Year of the Rooster<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>11th<\/td>\n            <td>Dog<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u72d7<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>g\u01d2u<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u620c<\/span> x\u016b<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-dog\/\">Year of the Dog<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>12th<\/td>\n            <td>Pig<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u732a<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>zh\u016b<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4ea5<\/span> h\u00e0i<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-pig\/\">Year of the Pig<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/tbody>\n      <\/table>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-note\">\n      <div class=\"mark\">\u540d<\/div>\n      <div>\n        <h3>Animal name and Earthly Branch are not the same word<\/h3>\n        <p>The animal name is the familiar label, such as <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9a6c<\/span> <em>m\u01ce<\/em> for Horse. The Earthly Branch is the calendar sign, such as <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5348<\/span> <em>w\u01d4<\/em> for the Horse branch.<\/p>\n        <p>Both matter, but they are different layers of the traditional zodiac system.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"shengxiao\">\n    <h2>What does <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u751f\u8096<\/span> sh\u0113ngxi\u00e0o mean?<\/h2>\n    <p>The common Chinese word for zodiac animal is <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u751f\u8096<\/span>, pronounced <em>sh\u0113ngxi\u00e0o<\/em>. The full phrase <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5341\u4e8c\u751f\u8096<\/span> means the 12 Chinese zodiac animals.<\/p>\n    <p>In everyday use, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u751f\u8096<\/span> usually points to the animal sign connected with a person\u2019s birth year. But the system also connects with the 12 Earthly Branches, the Five Elements, yin-yang stems, and the 60-year cycle.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-card-grid three\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">\u751f\u8096<\/span>\n        <strong>sh\u0113ngxi\u00e0o<\/strong>\n        <p>The common term for a Chinese zodiac animal sign.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">\u5341\u4e8c\u751f\u8096<\/span>\n        <strong>sh\u00ed&#8217;\u00e8r sh\u0113ngxi\u00e0o<\/strong>\n        <p>The full set of 12 zodiac animals in order.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">\u5c5e\u76f8<\/span>\n        <strong>sh\u01d4xi\u00e0ng<\/strong>\n        <p>Another common word for a person\u2019s zodiac animal sign.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"animal-cards\">\n    <h2>The 12 animal names, one by one<\/h2>\n    <p>These cards give a quick meaning note for each animal name. The meanings are cultural symbols, not scientific personality types.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-card-grid\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u9f20<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">sh\u01d4 \u00b7 Rat<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rat\/\">Rat<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through timing, alertness, resourcefulness, and the ability to notice small openings.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u725b<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">ni\u00fa \u00b7 Ox<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-ox\/\">Ox<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through patience, duty, steadiness, practical strength, and reliable work.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u864e<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">h\u01d4 \u00b7 Tiger<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-tiger\/\">Tiger<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through courage, force, protection, direct movement, and pressure.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u5154<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">t\u00f9 \u00b7 Rabbit<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rabbit\/\">Rabbit<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through tact, softness, timing, diplomacy, and emotional atmosphere.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u9f99<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">l\u00f3ng \u00b7 Dragon<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-dragon\/\">Dragon<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through vision, scale, transformation, presence, and larger possibility.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u86c7<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">sh\u00e9 \u00b7 Snake<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-snake\/\">Snake<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through insight, depth, privacy, timing, and careful observation.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u9a6c<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">m\u01ce \u00b7 Horse<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-horse\/\">Horse<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through movement, vitality, freedom, confidence, and open space.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u7f8a<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">y\u00e1ng \u00b7 Goat<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-goat\/\">Goat<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through care, sensitivity, creativity, emotional nuance, and humane softness.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u7334<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">h\u00f3u \u00b7 Monkey<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-monkey\/\">Monkey<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through wit, adaptability, curiosity, humor, and agile problem-solving.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u9e21<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">j\u012b \u00b7 Rooster<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rooster\/\">Rooster<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through clarity, standards, precision, presentation, and refinement.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u72d7<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">g\u01d2u \u00b7 Dog<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-dog\/\">Dog<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through loyalty, protection, sincerity, fairness, and trust built through action.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"tzl-big-cn\">\u732a<\/span>\n        <span class=\"label\">zh\u016b \u00b7 Pig<\/span>\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-pig\/\">Pig<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p>Often read through sincerity, warmth, generosity, comfort, patience, and humane trust.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"simplified-traditional\">\n    <h2>Simplified and traditional character notes<\/h2>\n    <p>The animal names on this page use simplified Chinese, which is standard in mainland China. Many zodiac animal names look the same in traditional Chinese, but a few common forms differ.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-table-wrap\">\n      <table class=\"tzl-table\">\n        <thead>\n          <tr>\n            <th>English<\/th>\n            <th>Simplified<\/th>\n            <th>Traditional<\/th>\n            <th>Note<\/th>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/thead>\n        <tbody>\n          <tr>\n            <td>Dragon<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f99<\/span><\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f8d<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>The traditional form is common in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and many classical or decorative contexts.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>Horse<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9a6c<\/span><\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u99ac<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>Both forms refer to the same animal sign.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>Rooster<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9e21<\/span><\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u96de<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>The simplified character is used on this site for consistency.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>Pig<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u732a<\/span><\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u8c6c<\/span><\/td>\n            <td>Both forms refer to the same zodiac animal.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/tbody>\n      <\/table>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <p>For most readers, the simplified forms are enough for recognizing the zodiac animals. When a traditional form appears in art, temples, calendars, or overseas Chinese contexts, it usually refers to the same sign.<\/p>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"branch-vs-animal\">\n    <h2>Why Earthly Branch names look different<\/h2>\n    <p>One common confusion is that the Chinese animal name and the Earthly Branch are not the same character. For example, Horse is <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9a6c<\/span> <em>m\u01ce<\/em>, but the Horse branch is <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5348<\/span> <em>w\u01d4<\/em>.<\/p>\n    <p>The animal is the familiar symbol. The branch is part of the older calendar framework. A year such as 2026 Fire Horse is traditionally labeled <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4e19\u5348<\/span> <em>B\u01d0ngw\u01d4<\/em>, where <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5348<\/span> is the Horse branch.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-card-grid two\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Animal name<\/span>\n        <strong>Readable symbol<\/strong>\n        <p>Words like Rat, Horse, and Pig are easier for everyday zodiac reading and cultural explanation.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Earthly Branch<\/span>\n        <strong>Calendar label<\/strong>\n        <p>Characters like \u5b50, \u5348, and \u4ea5 are part of the traditional stem-branch timekeeping system.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <p>To see how branches combine with Heavenly Stems and elements, read <a href=\"\/zodiac-element-combinations\/\">Chinese Zodiac Element Combinations<\/a>.<\/p>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"translation-notes\">\n    <h2>Translation notes English readers should know<\/h2>\n    <p>Most animal names translate cleanly, but a few need explanation. These notes help avoid the most common English-language misunderstandings.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-card-grid three\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">\u7f8a \u00b7 y\u00e1ng<\/span>\n        <strong>Goat, Sheep, or Ram?<\/strong>\n        <p>The sign can be translated in different ways. This site uses Goat for consistency. See <a href=\"\/goat-sheep-ram-chinese-zodiac\/\">Goat, Sheep or Ram?<\/a><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">\u725b \u00b7 ni\u00fa<\/span>\n        <strong>Ox or Cow?<\/strong>\n        <p>English zodiac usage usually says Ox because it better matches the traditional work-animal image.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">\u9e21 \u00b7 j\u012b<\/span>\n        <strong>Rooster or Chicken?<\/strong>\n        <p>Rooster is the common zodiac label in English, even though the Chinese word can refer more broadly to chicken.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"common-mistakes\">\n    <h2>Common mistakes about Chinese zodiac names<\/h2>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-card-grid three\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 1<\/span>\n        <strong>Mixing animal and branch<\/strong>\n        <p>\u9f20 Rat and \u5b50 branch are connected, but they are not the same word.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 2<\/span>\n        <strong>Thinking Goat and Sheep are different signs<\/strong>\n        <p>They are English translations of the same Chinese sign: \u7f8a y\u00e1ng.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 3<\/span>\n        <strong>Forgetting pinyin tones<\/strong>\n        <p>Pinyin marks, such as m\u01ce and m\u01ceo, help distinguish different Chinese syllables.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 4<\/span>\n        <strong>Using only English names<\/strong>\n        <p>English names are useful, but the Chinese characters reveal the calendar structure more clearly.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 5<\/span>\n        <strong>Treating names as personality science<\/strong>\n        <p>The animal names are cultural symbols, not scientific personality categories.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 6<\/span>\n        <strong>Ignoring Lunar New Year<\/strong>\n        <p>Knowing the name is only step one. The correct sign also depends on the zodiac-year boundary.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"faq\">\n    <h2>Chinese zodiac animals in Chinese FAQ<\/h2>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-faq\">\n      <details>\n        <summary>What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in Chinese?<\/summary>\n        <p>The 12 Chinese zodiac animals in Chinese are <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f20<\/span> sh\u01d4, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u725b<\/span> ni\u00fa, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u864e<\/span> h\u01d4, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5154<\/span> t\u00f9, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f99<\/span> l\u00f3ng, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u86c7<\/span> sh\u00e9, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9a6c<\/span> m\u01ce, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7f8a<\/span> y\u00e1ng, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7334<\/span> h\u00f3u, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9e21<\/span> j\u012b, <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u72d7<\/span> g\u01d2u, and <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u732a<\/span> zh\u016b.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>Are the animal characters the same as the Earthly Branches?<\/summary>\n        <p>No. The animal words, such as <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f20<\/span> for Rat and <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9a6c<\/span> for Horse, are different from the Earthly Branches, such as <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50<\/span> and <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5348<\/span>. The branch is the calendar layer, while the animal is the familiar zodiac label.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>What is the Chinese word for zodiac animal?<\/summary>\n        <p>The common Chinese term for the zodiac animals is <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u751f\u8096<\/span>, pronounced <em>sh\u0113ngxi\u00e0o<\/em>. The full set of 12 animals is called <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5341\u4e8c\u751f\u8096<\/span>, pronounced <em>sh\u00ed&#8217;\u00e8r sh\u0113ngxi\u00e0o<\/em>.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>Why is \u7f8a translated as Goat, Sheep, or Ram?<\/summary>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7f8a<\/span> <em>y\u00e1ng<\/em> is broader than one English animal word and can be translated as Goat, Sheep, or Ram depending on context. The Zodiac Lore uses Goat for consistency.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>Should I use simplified or traditional Chinese characters?<\/summary>\n        <p>This site mainly uses simplified Chinese characters for consistency. Traditional forms may appear in other contexts, but they usually refer to the same zodiac animals.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>What is the difference between \u751f\u8096 and \u5c5e\u76f8?<\/summary>\n        <p>Both can refer to a person\u2019s zodiac animal sign. <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u751f\u8096<\/span> is common for the zodiac animal system, while <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5c5e\u76f8<\/span> is often used when asking what sign someone \u201cbelongs to.\u201d<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\">\n    <h2>Next steps<\/h2>\n    <p>Use these related pages to read the full 12-sign system, check your sign, or understand the calendar layers behind the animal names.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-next\">\n      <a href=\"\/12-signs\/\">\n        <span>Overview<\/span>\n        <b>12 Chinese Zodiac Signs<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n\n      <a href=\"\/\">\n        <span>Homepage tool<\/span>\n        <b>Chinese Zodiac Calculator<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n\n      <a href=\"\/zodiac-years-chart\/\">\n        <span>Year lookup<\/span>\n        <b>Chinese Zodiac Years Chart<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n\n      <a href=\"\/zodiac-element-combinations\/\">\n        <span>60-year cycle<\/span>\n        <b>Zodiac Element Combinations<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n\n      <a href=\"\/goat-sheep-ram-chinese-zodiac\/\">\n        <span>Translation note<\/span>\n        <b>Goat, Sheep or Ram?<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n\n      <a href=\"\/year-of-the-rat\/\">\n        <span>First animal<\/span>\n        <b>Year of the Rat<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chinese Names \u00b7 \u5341\u4e8c\u751f\u8096 Chinese Zodiac Animals in Chinese: Names, Pinyin, Characters, and Meanings The 12 Chinese zodiac animals are called \u5341\u4e8c\u751f\u8096 sh\u00ed&#8217;\u00e8r sh\u0113ngxi\u00e0o in Chinese. They are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. This page gives the Chinese characters, pinyin, English names, Earthly Branches, and translation notes &#8230; <a title=\"Chinese Zodiac Animals in Chinese: Names, Pinyin, Characters and Meanings\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/chinese-zodiac-animals-in-chinese\/\" aria-label=\"Mehr Informationen \u00fcber Chinese Zodiac Animals in Chinese: Names, Pinyin, Characters and Meanings\">Weiterlesen &#8230;<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Chinese Zodiac Animals in Chinese: Names, Pinyin, Characters and Meanings","rank_math_description":"Learn the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in Chinese, including characters, pinyin, Earthly Branches, English names, translation notes, and common mistakes.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Chinese zodiac animals in Chinese","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-781","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=781"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1931,"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/781\/revisions\/1931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}