Korean lesson 14: What is your Chinese zodiac sign?

{ Published by longthuan - On 5:40 AM - 1 comments }
무슨 띠예요?
[Museun ttiyeyo?]
What is your Chinese zodiac sign?

A: 제니 씨는 무슨 띠예요?
[Jeni ssineun museun ttiyeyo?]
A: What is your Chinese zodiac sign?

B: 저는 토끼띠예요. 한수 씨는요?
[Jeoneun tokkittiyeyo. Hansu ssineunyo?]
B: I'm a rabbit. What about you Han-su?

A: 저는 두 살 더 많으니까 소띠예요.
[Jeoneun du sal deo maneunikka sottiyeyo.]
A: I'm an ox. I'm two years older than you are.

B: 그래요? 올해가 소띠 해니까 운이 좋을 것 같네요.
[Geuraeyo? Olhaega sotti haenikka uni joeul geot ganneyo.]
B: Really? It's the year of the ox, so it will be a year of many blessings for you.

The word ``띠'' is used to describe the twelve animals that depict the year a person is born. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig make up the full cycle in that respective order. 2009 is the year of the ox. So a person born in 2009 will be an ox. A person who is older by 12 years is ``띠동갑 [ttidonggap] (literally, the same zodiac sign but with the difference of 12 years).'' What is your Chinese zodiac sign?