What Is My Korean Zodiac Sign

April 25, 2022

HORSE: People born in the Year of the Horse are popular. They are considered as cheery, skillful with money, and insightful, yet they sometimes talk too much. They are intelligent, talented, good with their hands, and sometimes have a weakness towards people of the other sex. They are impatient and hot-blooded about everything except their everyday work. They like entertainment and large crowds. They are incredibly autonomous and rarely listen to advice. For this reason, in Korea, ladies born in the year of the horse were not attractive brides – they were believed to be too independent, especially those born in the year of the white horse (2002). (2002).

GOAT: Also called the Year of the Ram or Year of the Sheep. People born in the year of the Goat are described as graceful, intellectual, dependable, peaceful persons, who are very creative and typically accomplished artists. They can be quiet, cynical, and bewildered about life and prefer to be alone. Most detest being the focus of attention but enjoy being part of a group.

MONKEY: People born in the Year of the Monkey are the unpredictable geniuses of the animal signs. Clever, competent, and flexible, they are remarkably innovative and original and can tackle the most complex situations with ease. They are skilled at assessing danger and financial concerns. They are the consummate diplomats and slide in and out of issues with ease.

ROOSTER: Persons born in a Rooster year (also called year of the Hen/Chicken in Korea) are believed to be cunning, industrious, vocal and definite when making judgments.

Many are lavish and a little of the dreamer. In a Rooster year, it is necessary to weigh all the advantages and negatives before making major decisions. Read the fine print carefully, for that is where nasty surprises dwell. It takes hard work to sustain partnerships made in a Rooster year.

DOG: People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best attributes of human

What does a Korean zodiac sign mean?

The Korean zodiac is a lunar calendar-based classification system that can be traced back to ancient China. The Year of the Metal Ox, which begins on February 12, 2021 and ends on January 31, 2022, is known as the Year of the Metal Ox. Western astrology and Chinese astrology have separate zodiacs and use different systems. This is fascinating, because in Korea, some people are highly interested in their horoscopes and what fortunetellers have to say about their future based on their birth year, zodiac animal, and other factors. “What’s your Ddi?” is a question you could hear from Koreans, which roughly translates to “What is your sign?” What are the Korean zodiacs and what does this ‘ddi’ mean?

The origins of the Korean zodiac can be traced back to ancient China. Each zodiac animal, referred to as Ddi (), represents the year you were born as well as a set of characteristics you may have. You would be a tiger ddi, or horangi ddi () in Korean, if you were born in the year of the tiger. Those that are very interested in zodiacs and astrology will attempt to predict your compatibility through your ddi using horoscopes and the like, but the majority of people use it for entertainment and to guess your age. Because each animal has its own year every twelfth year, in accordance with the 12-year cycle of animals that follows the lunar calendar, knowing your ddi might help you figure out your age.

The Korean Zodiac consists of 12 animals. These are the following:

Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig are some of the animals that can be found.

As previously stated, an animal’s year is repeated every twelve years and follows the order of the animals listed above. Each animal, according to Chinese astrology, has its own distinct qualities, which are thought to be shared by persons born in that year.

It’s vital to remember that the animal years follow the Lunar calendar; for example, someone born in January 2000 would be a rabbit rather than a dragon because the Lunar New Year in 2000 was on February 4th.

Each of the animals in the 12-year cycle comes from one of the Twelve Earthly Branches (Shibiji () or Jiji (). This system, along with another called the Ten Heavenly Stems (Shibgan () or Cheongan (), was used by the ancient Chinese and other East Asian countries to represent time in years, months, and days.

Ganji () is the name given to years when one of the Ten Heavenly Stems and one of the Twelve Earthly Branches are combined in that sequence. Each celestial stem has a phase linked with it, which is utilized in conjunction with an animal’s name to establish the year’s name. It’s also worth noting that the year has a name in Chinese characters. Gab-Ja, for example, would be the year of the Wood Rat (, ). In the past, Koreans would use this to date historical events, therefore it was much more relevant.

This is why 2020 is known as the Year of the Metal Rat, and 2021 is known as the Year of the Metal Ox (People usually simplify the name of the year by just naming the animal).

Each animal is repeated every twelve years, and the year changes every Lunar New Year, which was on the 12th of February in 2021. Each year, the heavenly stem and earthly branch switch places, moving on to the next stem and branch in the sequence (see table in separate section). Because there are ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches (animals), a combination of a heavenly stem and an animal occurs every 60 years, indicating that time is cyclical. This is why a person’s 60th birthday is celebrated as a significant occasion in Korea and other Asian countries.

We’ve seen how the Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches, or animals, were used to signify the names of years in the past, and how they’re still utilized now. We’ve also seen how Koreans can ask someone what their ddi is, or what animal they are, and how they can use their ddi to establish someone’s age or year of birth.

I’ve added three tables to this article: one for each of the ten heavenly stems, one for each of the twelve terrestrial branches, and one for each animal’s years from 1948 through 2021. Ddi is solely related to the creatures found in the twelve terrestrial branches, and the animal names are written in Korean rather than Hanja. It’s time to find out what your ddi is.

1./Lee, Jong Kwan, () “, A Fundamental Examination on the Culture of Twelve Zodiac Animals and Personal Zodiac Signs, vol.8, no.1,20 pp. 17-36, vol.8, no.1,20 pp. 17-36, vol.8, no.1,20 pp. 17-36, vol.8, no.1,20 pp. 17-36, vol.8, no.1,20 pp. 17-36, vol.8, no (20 pages).

2./Kim Mantae, ()(), A Fundamental Study on Sipgan and Sibiji, the Signs to Read Folk Faith, vol., no.54, pp. 259-302, 2011, vol., no.54, pp. 259-302, (44 pages)

What year was I born in Korea?

Let’s go over a quick example of both types of computations so that the question “How old am I in Korea?” never seems so complex.

Let’s pretend someone was born in 1993 and the year is now 2019. In that instance, the most basic method of determining their Korean age would be as follows:

In the Western calendar, a person born in 1993 will be 26 in 2019. If their birthday has already passed when they calculate their Korean age, they are 26 + 1 = 27 years old. They would still be 27 years old in Korea if their birthday was still ahead of them, but the math would be 25 + 2 = 27 till their birthday.

Let’s take a look at a real-life scenario. If you’re a fan of Korean culture, you’re probably curious about Jungkook’s age. On September 1, 1997, he was born. In the Western calendar, he turns 22 years old in 2019. Jungkook, on the other hand, would claim to be 23 years old: 21 + 2 before September 1st and 22 + 1 after.

Here’s one another illustration of the disparity between Western and Korean ages. If a child is born on December 31st, Westerners consider the youngster to be a day old the next day. In Korean time, however, this one-day-old baby would be two years old. Because of the following reasons:

  • The baby is one year old when he or she is born, and
  • Everyone gains a year on January 1st.

What is the Korean zodiac of BTS?

According to Seventeen, Jungkook was born on September 1, while RM was born on September 12. This signifies that both of these bandmates were born under the Virgo zodiac sign. When you consider how realistic and hardworking Jungkook and RM are, this makes sense. Jungkook, in particular, has clearly spent many hours honing his graceful dance steps, and he also works hard to achieve in sports, cooking, photography, and whatever else he attempts. While Virgos’ greatest flaw is a tendency to be critical at times, Jungkook appears to be his own harshest critic.

Is there a similarity between the Chinese and Korean zodiacs?

The Korean and Chinese zodiacs are nearly identical. In the past, the lunar calendar was the cornerstone of Korean life, and holidays and festive events are still centered on the moon’s cycles. Animals that followed each other in a predetermined order every 12 years represented the years.

What is the procedure for obtaining a Korean name?

  • The following is a list of Korean naming conventions: KIM Min Su (male) or LEE Hyori, for example (female).
  • Each Korean name is usually three syllables long. The first name is the surname, and the second and third names are the given names. KIM is the family name in the name KIM Min Su (), for example.
  • The surname (or family name) is inherited patrilineally from one’s father and is shared with one’s siblings. It always appears before the given name and is usually one syllable or character long.
  • The given name (also known as a ‘personal name’) usually consists of two syllables or letters. Both parts of a person’s name are regarded as a separate entity. In South Korea, the concept of a “middle name” is not practiced.
  • A unique name chosen at birth as the individual’s personal identity is traditionally one component/character of a person’s given name. The other is a family’s generation name, which is usually shared by all siblings of the same gender. LEE Hyori () might have sisters named LEE Yuri and LEE Aeri, in which case the generation name is ‘Ri’ ().
  • The given name’s two syllables/characters can be written together, hyphenated, or separated into two. For example, Hyori, Hyo Ri, or Hyo-ri are all possible spellings. However, to clearly convey that the name is one, both words should be written as a single unit (e.g. Hyori).
  • Single-syllable given names (e.g., KANG Min () or JO Kwon ()) do exist, but they are unusual.
  • When written in the Korean alphabet (hangul), there are no spaces between a person’s family name and given name, e.g. (KIM Min Su).
  • At marriage, women do not change their legal names.
  • Keep in mind that all Korean names written in the Roman script were transcribed from Korean or Chinese characters. Because there are so many various methods to express these characters in English, the same Korean name can be represented with a variety of spellings. RHEE, YI, LI, RI, LEIGH, REE, RHI, or NI are all variations of LEE.
  • The ‘Revised Romanization of Korean’ is the most extensively used romanization scheme.
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  • To adapt to international and English-speaking situations, many Koreans adopt a ‘westernized’ version of their original Korean name.
  • This may entail reversing their given and family names to comply with English-Western naming conventions: KIM Min Su, for example, may be referred to as Min Su KIM.
  • Some married Korean women may adjust to English-Western naming customs by adopting their husband’s (or both) surnames. If LEE Hyori marries KIM Min Su, she may be referred to as Hyori LEE-KIM. However, unless the person is living abroad, this is extremely unlikely.
  • In foreign and English-speaking environments, many Koreans have a ‘English name.’ LEE Hyori, for example, may be known as “Michelle is a good friend of mine.
  • When writing or speaking in Korean, the majority of people will revert to their original Korean name.
  • A good name is thought to bring good luck, whereas a bad name may bring bad luck. As a result, most Korean parents pick names that connote goodwill, prosperity, and have positive implications in their meaning and pronunciation.
  • To ensure that a child’s name is auspicious, it can be chosen based on the child’s birth date and time, as well as the number of strokes the name has in Korean characters.
  • Some parents may seek advice from a shaman or fate teller to determine the best name for their child.
  • Many Korean given names have a significant meaning that represents the child’s hopes and wishes, such as Kyong (brightness), Geon (strength), Cho (beauty), and Young (youth) (valiant).
  • While traditional Korean naming customs (such as employing generation names) are prominent, parents are increasingly choosing to name their children after native Korean phrases (usually two syllables or more). Ha-neul (heaven/sky), Areum (beautiful), and Seulgi are just a few examples (wisdom).
  • Gender-specific meanings linked to conventional gender roles are common in Korean given names. Male names frequently represent conventional male-associated attributes such as power, bravery, achievement, or ambition, whereas female names frequently reflect feminine-associated qualities such as beauty or gentleness. When translated into the Roman script, however, determining a person’s gender from their name alone might be difficult.
  • It is not common or proper to name a child after a parent or other relative.
  • KIM (), PARK (), LEE (), CHOI (), and CHUNG () are the most prevalent family names in South Korea, with approximately half of all Koreans bearing one of these five names.
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  • While most Korean surnames are one syllable, certain deviations exist (for example, HWANGBO (), SEON-U (), DOKGO (), NAMGUNG (). ().
  • In most cases, each family name can be traced back to a clan. In Korea, for example, the majority of persons with the surname LEE () are members of the Jeonju or Gyeongju clans. A family name is generally associated with several separate clans.
  • Some Koreans may also be granted a religious name (distinct from their English name) upon baptism. KIM Min Su, for example, may go by the English name ‘Eric’ and the baptismal name ‘Joshua.’ 3
  • Friends and acquaintances who are the same age or younger than oneself should be addressed solely by their first names. This, however, only applies to short-term relationships.
  • The majority of the time, Koreans use titles to imply courteous discourse based on people’s age and social status.
  • In Korean, titles are given after a person’s complete name: KIM Minsu Ssi, for example (Mr. Minsu KIM). If you want to appear more casual, you can use a title with just your given name. Minsu Ssi, for example (Mr. Minsu).
  • It is inappropriate and rare to refer to someone solely by their surname (either with a title or without).
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  • The most popular titles are’ssi’ () and ‘nim’ (), both of which are gender-neutral but essentially translate to ‘Mr/Ms.’ When meeting strangers, the term ‘Ssi’ is commonly used to refer to anyone of the same age and social position. In formal and professional contexts, ‘Nim’ is slightly more formal and is used to express respect and courtesy to someone.
  • People call someone older than themselves ‘unni’ () or ‘noona’ () for ladies and ‘obba’ () or ‘hyung’ () for males, respectively, meaning “older sister” and “older brother.”
  • Koreans do not refer to someone their age without a title by their given name alone.
  • People are commonly referred to by their occupation, for example, ‘Sonsaeng’ (Teacher), ‘Kyosu’ (Fisher) (Professor). People can use ‘nim’ or’ssi’ to refer to someone’s job title, such as Sonsaeng nim.
  • Parents may also be referred to by their children’s names. KIM Minsu’s mother, for example, may be addressed literally as “Minsu’s mother is depicted in Korean () by her husband or other relatives.
  • Be aware that many Koreans have multiple names that they may use to identify themselves in various situations. They may have a given name, married name, company name, school name, English name, or baptismal name, for example (see above). A Korean will normally inform you which name you should use to address them.