Zodiac signs are a topic that attracts a great deal of interest among young people – not only in Vietnam but also in many other countries, including China. Each zodiac sign carries its own unique personality traits and symbolic meanings. In this article, we’ll explore how to say the 12 zodiac signs in Chinese accurately, along with standard pronunciation so you can easily remember and use them in daily communication.
What Are Zodiac Signs in Chinese?
In Chinese, zodiac signs are referred to as 星座 (Xīngzuò). The character 星 means “star,” while 座 refers to a “constellation” or “position.” Therefore, 星座 can be understood as “star constellation” or simply “zodiac sign.”
The zodiac system divides the sky into 12 equal sections based on the Sun’s apparent orbit around the Earth over the course of a year. Each section corresponds to a specific constellation and time period, forming the 12 zodiac signs.
According to Western astrology, the moment a person is born is linked to a particular zodiac sign, which is believed to influence that individual’s personality, emotions, and behavior. Although astrology has not been scientifically proven, zodiac signs continue to fascinate many people and are often used as a fun and relatable way to explore oneself and understand others.
The 12 zodiac signs in Chinese are grouped into four elemental categories. Each group reflects certain shared characteristics:
| Element Group | Meaning | Zodiac Signs |
|---|---|---|
| Fire (火 – Huǒ) | Passionate, decisive, strong-willed | Aries, Leo, Sagittarius |
| Water (水 – Shuǐ) | Sensitive, emotional, deep-thinking | Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces |
| Air (风 – Fēng) | Logical, communicative, creative | Gemini, Libra, Aquarius |
| Earth (土 – Tǔ) | Steady, realistic, dependable | Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn |
12 Zodiac Signs in Chinese
In Western astrology, the 12 zodiac signs represent twelve different constellations in the sky, corresponding to the Sun’s position throughout the year. Each zodiac sign has its own time period and is believed to reflect certain personality traits and behavioral tendencies of people born under that sign. So, what are the zodiac signs in Chinese, and how are they pronounced?
| Zodiac Sign | Chinese | Pinyin | Date Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | 白羊座 | Bái yáng zuò | March 21 – April 19 |
| Taurus | 金牛座 | Jīn niú zuò | April 20 – May 20 |
| Gemini | 双子座 | Shuāng zǐ zuò | May 21 – June 21 |
| Cancer | 巨蟹座 | Jù xiè zuò | June 22 – July 22 |
| Leo | 狮子座 | Shī zi zuò | July 23 – August 22 |
| Virgo | 处女座 | Chǔ nǚ zuò | August 23 – September 22 |
| Libra | 天秤座 | Tiān chèng zuò | September 23 – October 23 |
| Scorpio | 天蝎座 | Tiān xiē zuò | October 24 – November 22 |
| Sagittarius | 射手座 | Shè shǒu zuò | November 23 – December 21 |
| Capricorn | 摩羯座 | Mó jié zuò | December 22 – January 19 |
| Aquarius | 水瓶座 | Shuǐ píng zuò | January 20 – February 18 |
| Pisces | 双鱼座 | Shuāng yú zuò | February 19 – March 20 |
Personality Traits of Zodiac Signs in Chinese
When learning about zodiac signs in Chinese, knowing just the names is not enough. Learning common adjectives and descriptive phrases allows your speech to sound more natural, especially in daily conversations when describing personalities.
| Zodiac | Chinese | Pinyin | Personality Vocabulary | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | 白羊座 | Báiyáng zuò | 热情 | rèqíng | Enthusiastic |
| 冲动 | chōngdòng | Impulsive | |||
| 勇敢 | yǒnggǎn | Brave | |||
| 自信 | zìxìn | Confident | |||
| Taurus | 金牛座 | Jīnniú zuò | 稳重 | wěnzhòng | Calm, composed |
| 可靠 | kěkào | Reliable | |||
| 实际 | shíjì | Practical | |||
| 耐心 | nàixīn | Patient | |||
| Gemini | 双子座 | Shuāngzǐ zuò | 活泼 | huópō | Energetic |
| 聪明 | cōngmíng | Smart | |||
| 多变 | duōbiàn | Changeable | |||
| 灵活 | línghuó | Flexible | |||
| 好奇 | hàoqí | Curious | |||
| Cancer | 巨蟹座 | Jùxiè zuò | 温柔 | wēnróu | Gentle |
| 有同情心 | yǒu tóngqíng xīn | Compassionate | |||
| 体贴 | tǐtiē | Thoughtful | |||
| 善良 | shànliáng | Kind-hearted | |||
| Leo | 狮子座 | Shīzi zuò | 自信 | zìxìn | Confident |
| 领导力强 | lǐngdǎolì qiáng | Strong leadership skills | |||
| 爱面子 | ài miànzi | Values pride/reputation | |||
| 慷慨 | kāngkǎi | Generous | |||
| Virgo | 处女座 | Chǔnǚ zuò | 细心 | xìxīn | Detail-oriented |
| 完美主义 | wánměizhǔyì | Perfectionistic | |||
| 严谨 | yánjǐn | Careful, methodical | |||
| 有责任心 | yǒu zérènxīn | Responsible |
| Zodiac | Chinese | Pinyin | Personality Vocabulary | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libra | 天秤座 | Tiānchèng zuò | 和平 | hépíng | Gentle, harmonious |
| 爱美 | àiměi | Loves beauty / appreciates aesthetics | |||
| 犹豫 | yóuyù | Indecisive | |||
| 公正 | gōngzhèng | Fair and just | |||
| 善于交际 | shànyú jiāojì | Social and friendly | |||
| Scorpio | 天蝎座 | Tiānxiē zuò | 深沉 | shēnchén | Deep, intense |
| 神秘 | shénmì | Mysterious | |||
| 占有欲强 | zhànyǒuyù qiáng | Strong sense of attachment/possessiveness | |||
| 坚定 | jiāndìng | Determined | |||
| 直觉强 | zhíjué qiáng | Strong intuition | |||
| Sagittarius | 射手座 | Shèshǒu zuò | 乐观 | lèguān | Optimistic |
| 爱自由 | ài zìyóu | Loves freedom | |||
| 冒险 | màoxiǎn | Adventurous | |||
| 诚实 | chéngshí | Honest and straightforward | |||
| Capricorn | 摩羯座 | Mójié zuò | 努力 | nǔlì | Hardworking |
| 负责 | fùzé | Responsible | |||
| 严肃 | yánsù | Serious-minded | |||
| 有目标 | yǒu mùbiāo | Goal-oriented | |||
| Aquarius | 水瓶座 | Shuǐpíng zuò | 独立 | dúlì | Independent |
| 创新 | chuàngxīn | Creative and innovative | |||
| 特别 | tèbié | Unique, unconventional | |||
| 友善 | yǒushàn | Friendly | |||
| Pisces | 双鱼座 | Shuāngyú zuò | 柔软 | róuruǎn | Sensitive and gentle |
| 有同情心 | yǒu tóngqíng xīn | Empathetic | |||
| 爱幻想 | ài huànxiǎng | Imaginative, dreamy | |||
| 浪漫 | làngmàn | Romantic |
Useful Phrases About Zodiac Signs in Chinese
Zodiac signs are a popular topic in daily conversation among young people in China. Here are some common phrases you can use to discuss zodiac signs in Chinese:
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 你是什么星座的？ | Nǐ shì shénme xīngzuò de? | What’s your zodiac sign? |
| 你的生日是什么时候？ | Nǐ de shēngrì shì shénme shíhou? | When is your birthday? |
| 我的生日是 [Ngày/Tháng]. | Wǒ de shēngrì shì [date]. | My birthday is on [date]. |
| 我是____座。 | Wǒ shì ____ zuò. | I am a ____ (zodiac sign). |
| [Tên cung] 座有什么特点？ | [Cung] zuò yǒu shénme tèdiǎn? | What characteristics does this sign have? |
| 你相信星座吗？ | Nǐ xiāngxìn xīngzuò ma? | Do you believe in zodiac signs? |
| 你觉得星座能代表一个人的性格吗？ | Nǐ juéde xīngzuò néng dàibiǎo yí gè rén de xìnggé ma? | Do you think zodiac signs reflect personality? |
| 我觉得星座只是参考而已。 | Wǒ juéde xīngzuò zhǐ shì cānkǎo ér yǐ. | I think zodiac signs are just for reference. |
| 我对星座很感兴趣。 | Wǒ duì xīngzuò hěn gǎn xìngqù. | I’m very interested in zodiac signs. |
| 我觉得你很像____座的人。 | Wǒ juéde nǐ hěn xiàng ____ zuò de rén. | I think you really resemble someone from ____ sign. |
Conversation Examples About Zodiac Signs in Chinese
Talking about zodiac signs is a very common topic in everyday conversations among young people in China. When meeting someone new, discussing interests, or talking about personality traits, asking about zodiac signs helps the conversation flow naturally and become more engaging. Below are some practical conversation samples about zodiac signs in Chinese, based on real-life communication situations.
Dialogue 1
A: 你好，我们好像是第一次见面吧。
Nǐ hǎo, wǒmen hǎoxiàng shì dì yī cì jiànmiàn ba.
→ Hi, it seems like this is our first time meeting, right?
B: 是啊，我叫琳。你呢？
Shì a, wǒ jiào Lín. Nǐ ne?
→ Yes, that’s right. My name is Lin. And you?
A: 我叫南。对了，你是什么星座？
Wǒ jiào Nán. Duìle, nǐ shì shénme xīngzuò?
→ I’m Nam. By the way, what’s your zodiac sign?
B: 我是双子座。你呢？
Wǒ shì Shuāngzǐ zuò. Nǐ ne?
→ I’m Gemini. And you?
A: 我是摩羯座。
Wǒ shì Mójié zuò.
→ I’m Capricorn.
B: 哦，难怪你看起来很认真很安静。
Ó, nánguài nǐ kàn qǐlái hěn rènzhēn hěn ānjìng.
→ Oh, no wonder you seem serious and calm.
A: 哈哈，那你一定很活泼吧。
Hāhā, nà nǐ yídìng hěn huópō ba.
→ Haha, then you must be very lively.
B: 对，我话比较多。
Duì, wǒ huà bǐjiào duō.
→ Yes, I talk a lot.
Dialogue 2
A: 你认识狮子座的人多吗？
Nǐ rènshì Shīzi zuò de rén duō ma?
→ Do you know many people who are Leo?
B: 挺多的，我觉得他们很自信。
Tǐng duō de, wǒ juéde tāmen hěn zìxìn.
→ Quite a few. I think they are very confident.
A: 是啊，而且他们很有领导能力。
Shì a, érqiě tāmen hěn yǒu lǐngdǎo nénglì.
→ Yes, and they also have strong leadership skills.
B: 但是有时候也有点爱面子，哈哈。
Dànshì yǒu shíhou yě yǒudiǎn ài miànzi, hāhā.
→ But sometimes they care too much about appearances, haha.
A: 我朋友就是狮子座，他做事很果断。
Wǒ péngyǒu jiùshì Shīzi zuò, tā zuò shì hěn guǒduàn.
→ My friend is Leo, he’s very decisive.
B: 对，我觉得和狮子座相处会很有动力。
Duì, wǒ juéde hé Shīzi zuò xiāngchǔ huì hěn yǒu dònglì.
→ I agree, being around a Leo is very motivating.
Dialogue 3
A: 你平时会看星座运势吗？
Nǐ píngshí huì kàn xīngzuò yùnshì ma?
→ Do you usually read zodiac horoscope forecasts?
B: 会啊，我每天早上都会看看。
Huì a, wǒ měitiān zǎoshang dōu huì kànkan.
→ Yes, I check them every morning.
A: 真的有那么准吗？
Zhēn de yǒu nàme zhǔn ma?
→ Are they really that accurate?
B: 不一定，但有时候会让我心情变好。
Bù yídìng, dàn yǒu shíhou huì ràng wǒ xīnqíng biàn hǎo.
→ Not always, but sometimes they make me feel better.
A: 哈哈，有道理，就当参考吧。
Hāhā, yǒu dàolǐ, jiù dāng cānkǎo ba.
→ Haha, that makes sense. Just take it as a reference.
B: 对呀，开心最重要。
Duì ya, kāixīn zuì zhòngyào.
→ Yes, happiness is what matters most.
Conclusion
In this article, we explored what zodiac signs in Chinese are, along with the names of the 12 zodiac signs, their correct pronunciation, and common personality traits associated with each sign. Having a strong grasp of the vocabulary and expressions related to this topic will help you communicate more naturally and confidently, while also expanding your everyday conversational skills. We hope this content from Ni Hao Ma has provided you with useful and enjoyable knowledge to support your Chinese learning journey.
