also: へいし
noun
Fire Rat; 13th sexagenary cycle term
Refers to the 13th term of the traditional 60-term sexagenary cycle (干支), combining the celestial stem 丙 (Fire, yang) and the earthly branch 子 (Rat). Used in East Asian calendars and astrology, e.g. for years like 1936, 1996, 2056.
See also: 干支
丙子の年は、干支で13番目にあたる。
The year of the Fire Rat is the 13th in the sexagenary cycle.
彼は丙子年生まれで、1996年の生まれだ。
He was born in the year of the Fire Rat, which corresponds to 1996.
Compound of 丙 (ひのえ, 'Fire elder brother', the third celestial stem) and 子 (ね, 'Rat', the first earthly branch). The reading へいし is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi.