丑年 – Ushi Doshi 2021 is the Year of the Cow
This year, 2021 is the year of the Cow or Ox. Known as Ushi Doshi in Japanese. The Cow is the second animal in the Chinese Zodiac. If you are interested to learn more you have come to the right place.
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Writing Ushi Doshi in Japanese Kanji
The Chinese Zodiac uses a special Kanji for Ushi Doshi. That Kanji is 丑年(うしどし、ushi-doshi). The word for cow in Japanese is 丑. And 年 means year. Usually though, you write cow in Japanese with a different Kanji character, 牛. You write 丑 only when talking about the year of the cow in the Chinese Zodiac.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/The animal symbols in the Chinese Zodiac mean more than just years. The Kanji, 丑 also represents direction and time. That is, the northern northeast (30 degrees to the east of north) and the time period of the day from 2 am to 4 am. Before today’s current way of representing time, people in Japan used the Chinese Zodiac to tell time and direction.
Which Birth Years are Ushi Doshi?
If you were born in any of these years, then you are ushi doshi.
1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
What does a Cows say?
What does A Cow say in Japanese? That pretty much sums it up. If you are curious though, in Japanese a cow says モーモー (). This is similar to what cows say in English but instead with a long oh sound.
This is a sort of fun song to celebrate the year of the cow 2021. Enjoy!
If you want to learn more Japanese I reviewed a dictionary of grammar series which I personally recommend and use myself.
I also have several other posts on various topics on Japanese Universe if you are interested.
Resources
- Chinese Zodiac (Japanese)
- 丑 (Weblio – Japanese)
