Japanese word

未

Pronunciation

Romajihitsuji

Meaning

  • nounsheep

Example

未は十二支の八番目です。hitsuji wa jū ni shi no hachi ban me de su

The Sheep is the eighth sign of the Chinese zodiac.

Illustration for 未 (sheep)

More examples

十二支では、未の次は申です。jū ni shi de wa hitsuji no tsugi wa saru de su

In the zodiac, Sheep is followed by Monkey.

Core concept

Identifies the sheep sign in the cycle of twelve traditional zodiac animals.

Common phrases

  • 未年hitsuji nen

    year of the sheep

Definition in Japanese

十二支で八番目の、羊に当たるもの。jū ni shi de hachi ban me no hitsuji ni a ta ru mo no

Word origin

未 (hitsuji, "sheep") is a tree pictograph whose upper branches appear especially full; its later use as a cycle marker gave it the sheep-sign meaning.

Usage tips

  • On a Japanese calendar, 未 (hitsuji, "sheep") can mark a zodiac year, so the character functions as a year label rather than an ordinary animal noun.

Other meanings

  • goatnoun
  • ramnoun

Word lists with this word