猴年 (hóu nián) — year of the Monkey (in the Chinese zodiac)

Definition

One of the 12 years in the Chinese zodiac, named after the Monkey; recurs every 12 years (e.g., 2016, 2028). People born in this year are said to be clever and lively.

noun
year of the Monkey (in the Chinese zodiac)

Examples

  • 猴年。
    Wǒ shì zài hóu nián chū shēng de.
    I was born in the year of the Monkey.
  • 猴年2028。
    Xià yí gè hóu nián shì 2028 nián.
    The next year of the Monkey is 2028.
  • 猴年。
    hóu nián Chū shēng de rén bèi rèn wéi cōng ming huó pō.
    People born in the year of the Monkey are considered smart and lively.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

猴hóumonkey
年niányear

猴 “monkey” specifies which 年 “year” in the zodiac cycle.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
侯
侯hóu猴hóu(r)
Same sound today

猴 pairs 犭, the animal part, with 侯, which gives the sound.

Open 猴 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾héwheat; grain
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén年nián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

年 pairs 禾 (grain) with 人, which gives the sound. Its original meaning was harvest, and it later came to mean a year.

Open 年 →

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