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巳の年 (みのとし) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

巳へびの年とし

also: みどし · へびのとし

Meanings

1

expression, noun

year of the Snake

Refers to the year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The reading みのとし is the most formal; へびのとし is the colloquial reading.

See also: 巳年

来らい年ねんは巳みの年としです。
Next year is the year of the Snake.
巳みの年とし生うまれの人ひとは慎しん重ちょうだと言いわれる。
People born in the year of the Snake are said to be cautious.

Written forms

巳の年
- みのとし
  Standard kanji spelling for the year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac.
- へびのとし
巳み年どし
Common abbreviation; reading みどし is a contraction of みのとし.
へびのとし
Kana spelling using the native Japanese word for snake; less formal but easily understood.

Kanji

巳sign of the snake or serpent, 9-11AM, sixth sign of Chinese zodiac

年year, counter for years

Similar words

巳み年どし
Abbreviated form of 巳の年; more common in casual contexts and often used in zodiac lists.
十じゅう二に支し
The twelve zodiac signs; 巳 is the sixth sign, the Snake.

Etymology

Compound of 巳 (mi, 'snake' in the Chinese zodiac) + の (no, possessive particle) + 年 (toshi, 'year'). The reading み is the native Japanese kun'yomi for the zodiac sign; へびのとし uses the common word for snake.