also: しん
noun
8th in rank; eighth sign of the Chinese calendar
Refers to the eighth of the ten celestial stems (十干), associated with the element metal (金) and yin (陰). Used in traditional calendar systems and fortune-telling.
今年の干支は辛丑です。
This year's sexagenary cycle sign is Kanoto-Ushi (Metal Ox).
十干の八番目は辛です。
The eighth of the ten celestial stems is Kanoto.
The character 辛 originally depicted a tattooing needle or a tool for punishment, later used for the eighth celestial stem. The reading かのと is a native Japanese combination: 金 (kane, 'metal') + 弟 (oto, 'younger brother'), reflecting the metal-yin association.