ciu3肖
Jyutpingciu3
Yalechiu
Definition
To belong to a Chinese zodiac sign.
colloquialpeopletime
How it's used
This term is almost exclusively used in the context of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs. It functions as a verb meaning to belong to a specific sign, often appearing in the structure 肖 plus the animal name. It is a very natural way to ask someone about their birth year animal compared to the more formal 屬.
Examples
He belongs to the Dragon sign, his luck seems pretty good this year.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 肖 with 似, which means to resemble or look like. While 肖 can mean resemblance in formal written Chinese, in spoken Cantonese it is strictly reserved for zodiac signs.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
