also: ねのとし
expression, noun
year of the Rat
Refers to the year of the Rat in the Chinese zodiac. Used in contexts like astrology, birth years, and traditional calendar references.
See also: 子年
来年は子の年です。
Next year is the year of the Rat.
彼は子の年に生まれました。
He was born in the year of the Rat.
Synonymous, but 子年 is a single compound noun, while 子の年 is a phrase with the possessive particle の.
From 子 (rat, first sign of the Chinese zodiac) + の (possessive particle) + 年 (year).