Definition

1. Verb:
   • To be born under the auspices of (one of the twelve zodiac animals): This term refers to the traditional East Asian belief that a person's birth year, according to the lunar calendar, is associated with one of the twelve zodiac animals, which is believed to influence their personality and destiny.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy cầm tinh con trâu. (He was born under the auspices of the buffalo.)
  • Bà tôi cầm tinh con rồng. (My grandmother was born under the auspices of the dragon.)
  • Người cầm tinh con mèo thường được cho là kín đáo. (People born under the auspices of the cat are often considered reserved.)

Advanced Usage

• "Cầm tinh" is often used in formal or literary contexts, such as in horoscopes, fortune-telling, or traditional descriptions. In everyday conversation, the simpler phrase "tuổi con..." (age of the [animal]) is more common.
  • Cô ấy cầm tinh con ngựa, tức là tuổi Ngọ. (She was born under the auspices of the horse, meaning her zodiac sign is the Horse.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tuổi (n): Age; often used to refer to one's zodiac animal in the structure "tuổi + [animal]".
  • Tôi tuổi Thìn. (I was born in the Year of the Dragon.)
• Con giáp (n): Zodiac animal.
  • Mười hai con giáp (The twelve zodiac animals)
• Hoàng đạo (n): Zodiac (more commonly used for the Western zodiac system).

Synonyms

• Mang tuổi: To carry the age/sign of (less common, more literary).
  • Ông ấy mang tuổi con hổ. (He carries the sign of the tiger.)

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Cầm tinh con...: The standard structure for stating one's zodiac sign in a formal/traditional way.
  • Cầm tinh con khỉ (To be born under the auspices of the monkey)
• Năm... cầm tinh con...: The year of the [animal].
  • Năm 2025 cầm tinh con rắn. (The year 2025 is under the auspices of the snake.)

1. To be born under the auspices of (one of the twelve animals whose names are given to the lunar years)
   • anh ấy cầm tinh con trâu
     he was born under the auspices of a buffalo