The Magic of the Chinese Zodiac—With Cantonese Words!
The Chinese Zodiac is a fun and meaningful part of Cantonese culture, especially during Lunar New Year. It’s made up of 12 animals, each with their own traits. Kids love finding out which animal they are—and learning the Cantonese words makes it even more fun!
Meet the 12 Zodiac Animals
Here are the zodiac animals with their Cantonese names:
- Rat – 老鼠 (lou5 syu2)
- Ox – 牛 (ngau4)
- Tiger – 虎 (fu2)
- Rabbit – 兔 (tou3)
- Dragon – 龍 (lung4)
- Snake – 蛇 (se4)
- Horse – 馬 (ma5)
- Goat – 羊 (joeng4)
- Monkey – 猴 (hau4)
- Rooster – 雞 (gai1)
- Dog – 狗 (gau2)
- Pig – 豬 (zyu1)
Each year is linked to one of these animals, and the cycle repeats every 12 years. Kids can learn to say their zodiac animal’s name in Cantonese and explore what it means.
Dinolingo’s Cantonese course for kids aged 2–14 includes lessons on holidays, animals, and everyday language. Kids can discover zodiac animals while playing games, singing along with themed videos, and doing creative offline crafts.
The course is available on web, iOS, and Android, and comes with printable resources for screen-free learning.
Creative Activities to Try
Zodiac Animal Match-Up
Print pictures of the 12 animals. Have your child match them with the Cantonese word and sound it out together.
Zodiac Storytime
Read a simple version of the zodiac race story. Pause to say each animal’s name in Cantonese.
The Chinese Zodiac is more than a list of animals it’s a playful, powerful way for kids to connect with language and tradition.
Source:
