Year of the Tiger: years, personality and 虎 in Chinese
The Tiger is the third sign of the Chinese zodiac, after the Rat and the Ox. Tiger years include 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, and the next Year of the Tiger is 2034. As with every sign, the year runs from one Chinese New Year to the next, so it starts somewhere between late January and mid-February rather than on January 1.
In the folk tale of the race across the river, the Tiger was the strongest swimmer of all, but the current kept pushing it downstream, and it climbed out on the far bank just behind the Rat and the Ox. Third place, then, but no animal in Chinese culture has a grander reputation. The Tiger is 百兽之王 bǎi shòu zhī wáng, "the king of all beasts", and folk belief says you can read it on its face: the stripes on a tiger's forehead are said to form the character 王, "king".
Years of the Tiger
Every Tiger year from 1926 to 2034, with its first and last day and its element:
| Year | Starts | Ends | Element | In Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | February 13, 1926 | February 1, 1927 | Fire Tiger | 丙寅 · 火虎 |
| 1938 | January 31, 1938 | February 18, 1939 | Earth Tiger | 戊寅 · 土虎 |
| 1950 | February 17, 1950 | February 5, 1951 | Metal Tiger | 庚寅 · 金虎 |
| 1962 | February 5, 1962 | January 24, 1963 | Water Tiger | 壬寅 · 水虎 |
| 1974 | January 23, 1974 | February 10, 1975 | Wood Tiger | 甲寅 · 木虎 |
| 1986 | February 9, 1986 | January 28, 1987 | Fire Tiger | 丙寅 · 火虎 |
| 1998 | January 28, 1998 | February 15, 1999 | Earth Tiger | 戊寅 · 土虎 |
| 2010 | February 14, 2010 | February 2, 2011 | Metal Tiger | 庚寅 · 金虎 |
| 2022 | February 1, 2022 | January 21, 2023 | Water Tiger | 壬寅 · 水虎 |
| 2034 | February 19, 2034 | February 7, 2035 | Wood Tiger | 甲寅 · 木虎 |
"Tiger" in Chinese: 虎 and 老虎
The zodiac uses the single character 虎 hǔ. The Chinese "h" is rougher than the English one: it's made further back, with a bit of friction, much like the "ch" in Scottish "loch" or German "Bach". Then comes "oo", and the third tone, which dips low before it rises.
In everyday Chinese the tiger is . As in 老鼠, the mouse, the 老 doesn't mean "old": a tiger cub is a 小老虎, a "little old tiger", and nobody finds that strange. Since both syllables carry the third tone, the first one rises in speech: you say "láo hǔ". The third-tone article explains why.
If the word sounds familiar, you may have sung it. The Chinese children's song 两只老虎 liǎng zhī lǎohǔ, "Two Tigers", is set to the tune of "Frère Jacques", and practically every child in China knows it.
Among the twelve earthly branches the Tiger is the third, 寅 yín; it's the second character in the names of Tiger years, such as 壬寅 for 2022. On the old Chinese clock the Tiger's hours were from 3 to 5 a.m., 寅时 yínshí, the dark hours before dawn.
马马虎虎: the tiger in "so-so"
One of the first phrases many learners pick up has a tiger in it. Ask a Chinese friend how their exam went, and you may hear 马马虎虎, "so-so, not bad, not great". Literally it's "horse-horse-tiger-tiger". A popular story explains it with a painter who started a tiger, was asked for a horse halfway through, and finished the picture with a horse's body; it's almost certainly invented after the fact, but it fits.
The shorter is a separate word, and not a compliment: it's what a teacher writes on homework full of slips. One more detail for the ear: in 马马虎虎 the tiger loses its usual tone and is said hū, with the first tone: mǎmǎhūhū.
- 马马虎虎mǎmǎhūhūso-so; carelessliterally "horse-horse-tiger-tiger"
- 这件事不能马虎。zhèjiànshìbùnéngmǎhuYou can't be careless about this.
- 他做作业太马虎，常常写错字。tāzuòzuòyètàimǎhu,chángchángxiěcuòzìHe's so careless with his homework that he often writes characters wrong.
Tiger idioms in Chinese
Unlike the poor Rat, the Tiger gets the heroic idioms: strength, courage, energy. A few you'll meet in books, films and speeches:
- 纸老虎zhǐlǎohǔpaper tigersomething that looks dangerous but is weak: the same image as in English
- 虎头蛇尾hǔtóushéwěia strong start and a weak finishliterally "a tiger's head, a snake's tail"
- 如虎添翼rúhǔtiānyìeven stronger than beforeliterally "like a tiger that grows wings"
- 生龙活虎shēnglónghuóhǔfull of energy, bursting with lifeliterally "a living dragon, a lively tiger"
- 不入虎穴，焉得虎子búrùhǔxué,yāndéhǔzǐnothing ventured, nothing gained"how can you catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger's den?"
And two simple sentences with a native recording:
- 那两只老虎，一大一小。nàliǎngzhīlǎohǔ,yídàyìxiǎoThose two tigers: one big, one small.
- 老虎从动物园逃出来了。lǎohǔcóngdòngwùyuántáochūlaileA tiger has escaped from the zoo.
For more idioms like these, see Chinese proverbs and sayings.
How to say "I'm a Tiger" in Chinese
The zodiac verb is , and the animal follows in its one-syllable form: 我属虎 wǒ shǔ hǔ, "I'm a Tiger". All three syllables have the third tone, so in normal speech the first two rise: "wó shú hǔ". The Year of the Tiger is 虎年 hǔ nián.
- 你属什么？nǐshǔshénmeWhat's your zodiac sign?
- 你的生肖是什么？nǐdeshēngxiàoshìshénmeWhat's your Chinese zodiac animal?
- 我属虎。wǒshǔhǔI'm a Tiger.
In China this question is a polite way to find out someone's age: the sign narrows it down to a twelve-year window, and a twelve-year gap has its own name, 一轮 yì lún, "one round". The word for the sign is . In a Tiger year the New Year cards say 虎虎生威 hǔ hǔ shēng wēi, "may you be as mighty as a tiger".
Tiger personality in Chinese tradition
Tradition makes the Tiger the sign of courage. People born in Tiger years are said to be brave, confident and competitive, natural leaders who stand up for others and don't back away from a fight. They're also said to be generous and full of energy. The other side of the coin, according to the same tradition: impatience, a quick temper and a habit of acting first and thinking later. Read it as folklore, not as a forecast.
The element of the year adds its own shade. The Water Tiger (1962 and 2022) is said to be the calmest and most intuitive; the Wood Tiger (1974 and 2034) the most open-minded and sociable; the Fire Tiger (1926 and 1986) the boldest of all; the Earth Tiger (1938 and 1998) the most sensible; and the Metal Tiger (1950 and 2010) the most determined and outspoken. The element of each year is in the table above.
Tiger compatibility
In Chinese tradition the Tiger's best matches are the Horse and the Dog. The three signs, four years apart from one another, make up a "trine", 三合 sānhé, and are believed to share the same drive. The clash, 六冲 liùchōng, is with the Monkey, six years away on the opposite side of the circle: the bold, direct Tiger and the quick, mischievous Monkey are said to wear each other out. Few couples take this seriously today, but it's a common topic over a family dinner.
The Tiger's own year: 本命年
When your animal's year comes back, every twelve years, it's your 本命年 běnmìngnián. Surprisingly, it's traditionally seen as a year of bad luck, and the remedy is red: red socks, red underwear or a red string tied around the wrist. For Tigers the next 本命年 is 2034, the year of the Wood Tiger, which begins on February 19, 2034.
The 12 Chinese zodiac animals
The Tiger is third in the cycle. Here are all twelve signs; each has a page like this one.
For every animal and year at a glance, see the Chinese zodiac years chart. The holiday that starts each zodiac year is described in Chinese New Year, and the phrases for it in Chinese New Year greetings.
Tiger courage for your first Chinese words
Start with pinyin and tones, then real phrases: hear a native speaker, build the sentence and say it yourself. Free during the beta.
Start the first lesson