Chinese zodiac and age

       The age is very important in some countries such as Korea. The seniority is very strong where we have to very very very respect the older or our senior. There are levels/strata in Korean language: very polite language, polite language, and language for friends or younger people than us. Therefore, sometimes it is important to know the age of a person that we are going to talk to.

       It is ok in Korea to ask the age to someone you just met. But, sometimes there is a time where you to shy to ask their exact age or when they were born. So, you can ask he/she indirectly by asking his/her Chinese zodiac(띠).

       If you know your own Chinese zodiac and remember the order this Chinese zodiac below, you can calculate the age difference between you and that person.





1. Rat (쥐띠)
2. Ox (소띠)
3. Tiger (범띠 / 호랑이띠)
4. Rabbit (토끼띠)
5. Dragon (용띠)
6. Snake (뱀띠)
7. Horse (말띠)
8. Sheep (양띠)
9. Monkey (원숭이띠)
10. Rooster (닭띠)
11. Dog (개띠)
12. Pig (돼지띠)

       Ok, let's make an example~! Supposed this year is 2011 and assume that you're born in 1983, so your Chinese zodiac is pig.


Si gigi kelinci took a pic in front of a rabbit warrior statue

       You want to know the exact age of the girl Si gigi kelinci in the picture. Supposed her Chinese zodiac is rabbit, because she took a pic in front of rabbit statue among the Chinese zodiac statue.

       Let's do the calculation! Pig is come 4 before the rabbit or 8 after the rabbit according to the Chinese zodiac order. So you can predict that her age is 4 (4+(12*0)) years old younger that you, 16 (4+(12*1)) years old younger than you, or maybe 8 (8+(12*0)) years older than you, 20 (8+(12*1)) years old older than you, 32 (8+(12*2)) years old older than you and so on. Just calculate the age difference plus multiplication of 12.

       Look the picture again! She may looks younger than you. So, we reduce the possibility in to 4 years old younger than you or 16 years old younger than you. If she 16 years old younger than you, that means she just only 12, but she looks older than 12. So, the answer is she just 4 years old younger than you, means she born in 1983 + 4 = 1987. What a simple assumption and calculation~!

       I don't believe the zodiac nor the zodiac has relation to someone characteristic or fate, but I sometimes use this method to ask someone age indirectly specially in Korea because almost all people know their own Chinese zodiac.