also: うさぎのとし
expression, noun
year of the Rabbit; year of the Hare
Refers to the year associated with the Rabbit (卯) in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The reading うさぎのとし is more colloquial.
See also: 卯年
来年は卯の年です。
Next year is the year of the Rabbit.
卯の年生まれの人は穏やかだと言われている。
People born in the year of the Rabbit are said to be gentle.
卯年 is a more compact way to say 'year of the Rabbit', often used in calendars or fortune-telling contexts. 卯の年 is slightly more explicit and descriptive.
卯 (う) is the fourth sign of the Chinese zodiac, representing the Rabbit. の年 simply means 'year of'. The reading うさぎのとし uses the native Japanese word for rabbit.