寅
sign of the tiger, 3-5AM, third sign of Chinese zodiac
Readings
On'yomi
- イン
Kun'yomi
- とら
Nanori
- とも
- のぶ
Meaning
寅 centers on the third sign of the Chinese zodiac, the Tiger, and its associated time period (3–5 AM). Its meanings are culturally fixed rather than derived from a single abstract concept.
Most common words using 寅
- 寅とら
the Tiger (third sign of the Chinese zodiac)
- 丑寅うしとら
northeast
- 丙寅ひのえとら
Fire Tiger (3rd term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1926, 1986, 2046)
- 壬寅みずのえとら
Water Tiger (39th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1962, 2022, 2082)
- 寅の刻とらのこく
hour of the Tiger (around 4am, 3-5am, or 4-6am)
- 寅の年とらのとし
year of the Tiger
- 寅の日とらのひ
day of the Tiger
- 寅年とらどし
year of the Tiger
- 寅年生まれとらどしうまれ
being born in the year of the Tiger; person born in the year of the Tiger
- 庚寅かのえとら
Metal Tiger (27th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1950, 2010, 2070)
- 戊寅つちのえとら
Earth Tiger (15th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1938, 1998, 2058)
- 甲寅きのえとら
Wood Tiger (51st term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1914, 1974, 2034)
Study
Etymology
寅 is an ancient zodiac character whose original pictographic meaning is uncertain. It was borrowed early for the third Earthly Branch and the Tiger sign, and its modern form is a conventionalized shape.
Meaning mnemonic
Under a roof 宀, a tiger stretches out its body (the 田-like middle) and paws (the lower 八). Picture a tiger resting indoors during the hour of the Tiger (3–5 AM).
Reading mnemonic
For イン, imagine an inn where a tiger is staying: inn -> イン, and the tiger rests under the roof 宀.