also: へびどし
noun
year of the Snake
Refers to the year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac. The reading みどし is the most traditional, while へびどし is a more colloquial alternative.
来年は巳年です。
Next year is the year of the Snake.
巳年生まれの人は慎重だと言われている。
People born in the year of the Snake are said to be cautious.
Alternate spelling using the common kanji for snake; less traditional than 巳年.
巳 (mi) is the sixth sign of the Chinese zodiac, representing the Snake. 年 (toshi/doshi) means 'year'. The reading みどし is a compound of 巳 and 年, while へびどし uses the native Japanese word for snake (へび) plus 年.