戌
sign of the dog, 7-9PM, eleventh sign of Chinese zodiac
Readings
On'yomi
- ジュツ
Kun'yomi
- いぬ
Meaning
戌 centers on the Chinese zodiac sign of the Dog and its associated time period (7–9 PM). It is primarily a calendrical and symbolic character rather than a word for the animal itself.
Most common words using 戌
- 戌いぬ
the Dog (eleventh sign of the Chinese zodiac)
- 戌年いぬどし
year of the Dog
- 戌亥いぬい
northwest
- 丙戌ひのえいぬ
Fire Dog (23rd term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1946, 2006, 2066)
- 壬戌みずのえいぬ
Water Dog (59th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1922, 1982, 2042)
- 庚戌かのえいぬ
Metal Dog (47th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1910, 1970, 2030)
- 戊戌ぼじゅつ
Earth Dog (35th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1958, 2018, 2078)
- 戌の刻いぬのこく
hour of the Dog (around 8pm, 7-9pm, or 8-10pm)
- 戌の年いぬのとし
year of the Dog
- 戌の日いぬのひ
day of the Dog (in the traditional calendar; associated with safe childbirth)
- 甲戌きのえいぬ
Wood Dog (11th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1934, 1994, 2054)
Study
Etymology
戌 is an ancient Chinese cyclical character used for the Earthly Branch associated with the Dog. Its original pictographic meaning is unclear, and the modern form is a conventionalized symbol.
Meaning mnemonic
The outer shape 戊 looks like a halberd, and the inner stroke 一 can be seen as a leash. Picture a guard dog on a leash during the evening watch (7–9 PM), representing the sign of the Dog.
Reading mnemonic
For ジュツ, imagine a dog performing a trick: "Jute's" (ジュツ) the dog's name, and it does a trick at 7 PM sharp.