[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"daily-2026-07-02":3},{"date":4,"status":5,"dateLayer":6,"allowQuiz":18,"podcastTopicKey":35,"bundle":36},"2026-07-02","published",{"dateStr":4,"gregorianEn":7,"gregorianZh":8,"weekdayEn":9,"weekdayZh":10,"lunar":11,"lunarLabelZh":19,"lunarLabelEn":20,"zodiacAnimalEn":21,"zodiacAnimalZh":22,"zodiacYearEn":23,"ganzhiYear":24,"solarTermToday":25,"currentSolarTerm":26,"nextSolarTerm":30,"festivals":34},"July 2, 2026","2026年7月2日","Thursday","星期四",{"year":12,"month":13,"day":14,"isLeapMonth":15,"monthName":16,"dayName":17,"inRange":18},2026,5,18,false,"五月","十八",true,"五月十八","18th day of the 5th lunar month","Horse","马","Year of the Horse","丙午",null,{"zh":27,"en":28,"dateStr":29},"夏至","Summer Solstice","2026-06-21",{"zh":31,"en":32,"dateStr":33,"daysAway":13},"小暑","Minor Heat","2026-07-07",[],"daily-2026-07-02",{"hook":37,"quiz":77,"word":150,"bands":165,"grammar":186,"dateLayer":204},{"tier":38,"noteEn":39,"source":40,"article":41,"titleEn":42,"titleZh":43,"category":40,"keyWords":44,"insightEn":64,"references":65,"allowGamify":18,"cultureLink":69,"titleZhPinyin":73,"todaySentenceEn":74,"todaySentenceZh":75,"todaySentencePinyin":76},8,"The Twelve Animals, or 十二生肖, is a traditional Chinese zodiac system where each year is represented by an animal. This cycle repeats every twelve years, starting with the Rat and ending with the Pig.","micro-culture","The Twelve Animals, known in Chinese as 十二生肖 (shí èr shēngxiào), is a fascinating aspect of Chinese culture and astrology. This system assigns each year in a twelve-year cycle an animal, starting with the Rat and concluding with the Pig. The cycle is believed to influence personality traits, compatibility, and even fortunes of individuals born in each animal's year. The 十二生肖 system is deeply rooted in Chinese folklore and mythology, with each animal carrying its own stories and symbolism.\n\nThe origins of the Chinese zodiac are shrouded in legend, one popular version being the Great Race organized by the Jade Emperor[1]. In this tale, the order of the animals was determined by their arrival at the emperor's party. The Rat, clever and resourceful, secured the first position by hitching a ride on the Ox and jumping off just before the finish line. Each animal in the zodiac has characteristics associated with it, and these are believed to influence the personalities of people born under that sign. For instance, those born in the Year of the Horse, like 2026, are often seen as energetic, independent, and confident.\n\nThe Twelve Animals are not only a cultural symbol but also play a role in daily life and festivities. During Chinese New Year, many people wear red or carry charms of their zodiac animal for good luck. Compatibility between zodiac signs is also considered when forming relationships, whether romantic, business, or friendship. While modern society may not rely on the zodiac as much as in ancient times, it remains a cherished tradition that adds a layer of cultural richness to Chinese society. Understanding the 十二生肖 provides insight into how deeply interconnected culture and belief systems can influence daily life and traditions in China.","The Twelve Animals","十二生肖",[45,49,53,56,60],{"en":46,"hanzi":47,"pinyin":48},"zodiac","生肖","shēngxiào",{"en":50,"hanzi":51,"pinyin":52},"rat","鼠","shǔ",{"en":54,"hanzi":22,"pinyin":55},"horse","mǎ",{"en":57,"hanzi":58,"pinyin":59},"pig","猪","zhū",{"en":61,"hanzi":62,"pinyin":63},"tradition","传统","chuántǒng","The Chinese zodiac is not just astrology; it is a cultural tradition that influences festivals, relationships, and self-identity.",[66],{"n":67,"text":68},1,"《中国古代神话》 Chinese Mythology, a collection of myths and legends including the story of the Great Race.",{"category":70,"slug":71,"label":72},"traditions","chinese-zodiac-twelve-animals","Chinese Zodiac: Twelve Animals and the Cycle of Time","shí èr shēng xiāo","2026 is the Year of the Horse.","2026年是马年。","2026 nián shì mǎ nián.",{"items":78,"reflectionPrompt":149},[79,90,99,108,118,123,132,141],{"id":80,"kind":80,"type":81,"prompt":82,"options":83,"explainEn":88,"answerIndex":89},"meaning","mc","What does 年 mean?",[84,85,86,87],"Year","Month","Day","Week","年 means 'year'.",0,{"id":91,"kind":91,"type":81,"prompt":92,"options":93,"explainEn":98,"answerIndex":89},"pinyin","How is 年 pronounced?",[94,95,96,97],"nián","nǐan","nán","nīan","The correct pronunciation is 'nián'.",{"id":100,"kind":100,"type":81,"prompt":101,"options":102,"explainEn":107,"answerIndex":89},"translate","How do you write \"year\" in Chinese?",[103,104,105,106],"年","月","日","周","年 is the Chinese word for 'year'.",{"id":109,"kind":109,"type":81,"prompt":110,"options":111,"audioText":116,"explainEn":117,"answerIndex":89},"listening","Listen. What does the sentence mean?",[112,113,114,115],"Last year was the Year of the Goat.","This year is the Year of the Goat.","Next year is the Year of the Goat.","This is the Year of the Ox.","去年是羊年。","The sentence says last year was the Year of the Goat.",{"id":119,"kind":119,"type":119,"accept":120,"answer":103,"prompt":121,"explainEn":122},"fill",[103],"每___都有新希望。(Every ___ brings new hope.)","The blank should be filled with the word for 'year'.",{"id":124,"kind":124,"type":81,"prompt":125,"options":126,"explainEn":131,"answerIndex":89},"reading","今年是虎年。 — What does this sentence mean?",[127,128,129,130],"This year is the Year of the Tiger.","This is the Year of the Dragon.","Next year is the Year of the Rabbit.","Last year was the Year of the Snake.","The sentence states this year is the Year of the Tiger.",{"id":133,"kind":133,"type":81,"prompt":134,"options":135,"explainEn":140,"answerIndex":89},"culture","Which animal is NOT part of the Chinese zodiac?",[136,137,138,139],"Cat","Rat","Ox","Tiger","The cat is not part of the Chinese zodiac.",{"id":142,"kind":142,"type":142,"prompt":143,"ordered":144,"explainEn":148},"order","Arrange into a correct sentence",[145,146,147],"今年","是","马年","Correctly orders words to say 'This year is the Year of the Horse'.","What do you think about the idea that our birth year influences our personality?",{"faq":151,"pos":161,"slug":162,"hanzi":103,"level":67,"pinyin":94,"meaning":163,"audioUrl":164},[152,155,158],{"answer":153,"question":154},"'Last year' is '去年' (qùnián).","How do you say 'last year' in Chinese?",{"answer":156,"question":157},"The character is still '年' (nián) in both simplified and traditional Chinese.","What is the character for 'year' in traditional Chinese?",{"answer":159,"question":160},"'年' can also refer to a person's age or be used in the context of harvests.","Does '年' have any other meanings?","m","hsk-1/%E5%B9%B4-nian2","year","https://mandarintemple.com/wp-content/uploads/katemt_audio/n/Nian/nian2.wav",{"1-2":166,"3-4":171,"5-6":176,"7-9":181},{"en":167,"pinyin":168,"explainEn":169,"sentenceZh":170},"Today is New Year.","Jīntiān shì xīnnián.","This sentence uses the word '年' to refer to the year.","今天是新年。",{"en":172,"pinyin":173,"explainEn":174,"sentenceZh":175},"What year is it this year?","Jīnnián shì shénme nián?","Asking about the current zodiac year.","今年是什么年？",{"en":177,"pinyin":178,"explainEn":179,"sentenceZh":180},"He was born in the Year of the Dragon.","Tā chūshēng zài lóng nián.","Describes a birth year using the zodiac.","他出生在龙年。",{"en":182,"pinyin":183,"explainEn":184,"sentenceZh":185},"Year after year, his determination never wavered.","Nián fù yī nián, tā de juéxīn cóng wèi dòngyáo.","Uses '年' abstractly to express time passing.","年复一年，他的决心从未动摇。",{"title":187,"pattern":188,"examples":189,"explainEn":202,"usageNote":203},"Using '是' to indicate identity or attributes","是 + noun",[190,194,198],{"en":191,"zh":192,"pinyin":193},"He is a teacher.","他是老师。","Tā shì lǎoshī.",{"en":195,"zh":196,"pinyin":197},"This is an apple.","这是苹果。","Zhè shì píngguǒ.",{"en":199,"zh":200,"pinyin":201},"She is my friend.","她是我的朋友。","Tā shì wǒ de péngyǒu.","The verb '是' is used to equate two nouns, often to indicate identity or attribute.","Use '是' to state facts or identify something.",{"lunar":205,"dateStr":4,"festivals":206,"weekdayEn":9,"weekdayZh":10,"ganzhiYear":24,"gregorianEn":7,"gregorianZh":8,"lunarLabelEn":20,"lunarLabelZh":19,"zodiacYearEn":23,"nextSolarTerm":207,"solarTermToday":25,"zodiacAnimalEn":21,"zodiacAnimalZh":22,"currentSolarTerm":208},{"day":14,"year":12,"month":13,"dayName":17,"inRange":18,"monthName":16,"isLeapMonth":15},[],{"en":32,"zh":31,"dateStr":33,"daysAway":13},{"en":28,"zh":27,"dateStr":29}]