Who You Should Marry Based on Your Chinese Zodiac? (Part I)

People have been interested in their fortune and explanations of their personalities since the beginning of civilization. Even if you don’t believe in it, it’s fun when your friend reads your weekly horoscope. In China, there are 12 zodiac animals and they are:

1. 鼠 (Shǔ): Mouse 2. 牛 (Niú): Ox 3. 虎 (Hǔ): Tiger
4. 兔 (Tù): Rabbit 5. 龙 (Lóng): Dragon 6. 蛇 (Shé): Snake
7. 马 (Mǎ): Horse 8. 羊 (Yáng): Goat 9. 猴 (Hóu): Monkey
10. 鸡 (Jī): Rooster 11. 狗 (Gǒu): Dog 12. 猪 (Zhū): Pig

The twelve animals that represent the birth year of the twelve earthly branches in China, are called "生肖 (shēngxiào) zodiac" and it differs from the constellation zodiac that many westerners use to learn about their horoscope. It further reflects the cultural differences between China and Western countries. Understanding your animal’s attributes and shortcomings is an alternative way to understand yourself and other "生肖 (shēngxiào) zodiac" animals. 2018 is the year of the dog.

Learn about the first 6 animals through a summary of their attributes, shortcomings, and best romantic matches.

"鼠 (Shǔ) Mouse" is sometimes called rat but is nonetheless considered spirited, witty, alert, delicate, and flexible on a good day but also timid, unstable, stubborn, picky, and quarrelsome. Mice zodiacs will never have a lack of romance and passion with the ox, dragons, or monkey zodiacs.

"牛 (Niú) Ox" sometimes called cow, is diligent and honest. Their shortcomings include being stubborn, narrow-minded, and hard to get close to. They are quite compatible with rats, roosters, and snakes.

"虎 (Hǔ) Tiger" is considered to be brave yet cruel and forceful. Since tigers are confident and brave they also like showing off. Their best matches are the dragon, horse, and pig but be careful because these lovers can also feel like rivals.

(Tiger Is the Most Ferocious Animal, So Why Does It Being Scared of Foxes?)

"兔 (Tù) Rabbit" is known for tenderness, grace, and sensitivity and they have a special ability to convert an enemy into a friend. They also tend to hesitate which causes them to lose good chances in life. Rabbits are the most romantic with sheep, monkey, dog, and pig.

"龙 (Lóng) Dragon": People with Chinese zodiac dragon sign are usually motivating, generous, sensitive, ambitious, and romantic but that doesn't mean their eccentric, fiery, and intolerant traits don’t get in the way. They build the best families with rat, rooster, and monkey.

"蛇 (Shé) Snake" is a symbol of wisdom and wit and are sensitive and humorous while most of them are gifted in literature and art. Suspicion is their weakness, which makes them hesitant and a bit paranoid. Their relationship with roosters and dragons can develop through the lasting attraction.

(Do You Know What Does "画蛇添足 (Huàshétiānzú)" Mean in China?)

There is a humorous story about how the Chinese zodiac animals were selected out of all the animals in existence. It was a long time ago... Read More

There is a popular Internet word "碰瓷 (pèng cí) touching the porcelain" which often appears on all kinds of websites and social media platforms. What does it mean? It metaphorically refers to a behavior or trick when someone pretends to be knocked down so he can ask for money.

(Four Must-Know Facts Before You Travel to China!)

碰瓷 (Pèng cí)

It originally comes from an old Beijing dialect of Mandarin. This word refers to a trick that takes its name from a scam, in which unscrupulous antique sellers would rig up damaged porcelain vases to look whole, wait for customers to "break" one by picking it up, then demand that they pay for the item.

Let’s break this word down so you can better understand it:

碰 (Pèng): v. collide, bump into.
瓷 (Cí): n. crockery, chinaware.

Origin Story:

A long time ago, in the late years of the Qing Dynasty, some elderly aristocrats held a "rare" porcelain (actually, it’s a fake.) in their hands, and walk down the streets with it.

These aristocrats would seek out a chance to be "deliberately" touched by a carriage passing by. This touch would cause the porcelain in their hands to immediately drop and fall into pieces. This trick would be used so that carriage owners would have to offer compensation for the price of the valuable porcelain.

The trick targets people in a hurry, so the odds of making them feel guilty for the action are higher. Over time, people called this behavior "碰瓷 (pèng cí)."

The phenomenon of "碰瓷 (pèng cí)" evolves with the development of society, such as... Read More

Quiz:

1. Please make a complete sentence by putting the words below in the correct order.

1. 居然 2. 个 3. 碰瓷的 4. 遇到 5. 我

A. 5-4-1-2-3
B. 5-1-4-2-3
C. 3-1-4-2-5
See Answer Analysis