属相 shǔxiàng colloquial term for 生肖 the animals associated with the years of a 12-year cycle
How to remember 属相: 属 class + 相 mutual = colloquial term for 生肖 the animals associated with the years of a 12-year cycle.
Characters
How it is used
- Colloquial word for one's Chinese zodiac animal - 你属相是什么?我属龙 (nǐ shǔxiàng shì shénme? wǒ shǔ lóng) what's your zodiac sign? I'm a Dragon.
- Everyday spoken synonym of the more formal 生肖 (shēngxiào); you'll hear 属相 in casual chat about age and birth years.
- Note the verb 属 (shǔ) alone answers it: 我属兔 (I'm a Rabbit). 属相 is the noun for the category itself.