己丑 (jǐchǒu): the 26th year of the sexagenary…

Meanings

1 the 26th year of the sexagenary cycle (e.g. 1949, 2009, 2069)
2 Earth-Ox year

Characters

己

jǐ

6th heavenly stem (yin Earth)

丑

chǒu

2nd earthly branch (Ox)

Examples

1949年是己丑年。

Yī-jiǔ-sì-jiǔ nián shì jǐchǒu nián.

1949 was a jǐ-chǒu year.

他出生于己丑年。

Tā chūshēng yú jǐchǒu nián.

He was born in a jǐ-chǒu year.

Tips

culture

己丑 pairs the Heavenly Stem 己 (jǐ, yin Earth) with the Earthly Branch 丑 (chǒu, Ox) — the 26th of 60 combinations in the 干支 (gānzhī) cycle that has named years, days and hours since the Shang dynasty. 1949 (founding of the PRC) and 2009 are both 己丑.