Translation guide
The Year of the Boar is one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac cycle, known in Japanese as 亥 (いのしし). This guide explains how to refer to the year itself and related expressions.
To say that a specific year is the Year of the Boar in the Chinese zodiac.
Standard term for 'Year of the Boar'. 亥 is the zodiac sign, and 年 means 'year'. This is the most common way to refer to the year.
Next year is the Year of the Boar.
私は亥年生まれです。
I was born in the Year of the Boar.
A more casual or explanatory way to say 'Year of the Boar', using the animal name いのしし (wild boar) instead of the zodiac character. Common in conversation.
今年はいのしし年だね。
This year is the Year of the Boar, isn't it?
Literary or traditional phrasing, using the possessive の. Less common in modern speech but seen in older texts or formal contexts.
亥の年に生まれた子は健康だと言われる。
Children born in the Year of the Boar are said to be healthy.
To say that a person's zodiac sign is the Boar.
Means 'born in the Year of the Boar'. Attach to a person or use as a noun phrase.
彼は亥年生まれです。
He was born in the Year of the Boar.
Casual version using the animal name. Often used in friendly conversation.
私、いのしし年生まれなんだ。
I was born in the Year of the Boar, you know.
To talk about typical characteristics of people born in the Year of the Boar.
Describe traits using 亥年の人 (people of the Boar year) followed by adjectives or descriptive phrases. Common in horoscope contexts.
亥年の人は正直で優しいと言われています。
People born in the Year of the Boar are said to be honest and kind.
The Japanese zodiac uses specific kanji: 亥 (い) for Boar. In casual speech, the animal name いのしし is often used instead. Both are correct, but 亥年 is standard in written and formal contexts.
In the Chinese zodiac, the 12th animal is sometimes called 'Pig' in English, but in Japanese it is specifically the wild boar (いのしし). The zodiac sign 亥 represents the boar, not the domestic pig (ぶた).
2027年は亥年です。
2027 is the Year of the Boar.
母は亥年生まれです。
My mother was born in the Year of the Boar.