also: うさぎのとし
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.
Standard kanji spelling for the year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac.
Alternative reading using the more common word for rabbit; often used in spoken explanations.
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.