TL;DR: Cung hoàng đạo in English is zodiac signs, with the full circle called the zodiac. The individual signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. It is important to distinguish sign (a 30-degree division of the zodiac used in astrology) from constellation (an astronomical region of sky), because axial precession has shifted the two apart.
What is 'cung hoàng đạo' in English?
Cung hoàng đạo in English is zodiac signs, and the whole belt is called the zodiac. In *Astrology for All* by Alan Leo (1910 edition), the author defines the zodiac as the path or belt through which all planets pass, also known as the ecliptic, intersecting the equator at a point called the first point of Aries, that is, the vernal equinox[1]. This is the foundational definition Western astrology uses to divide the 360-degree circle into twelve equal parts of 30 degrees each, called a sign.
One point must be noted from the start: Alan Leo also writes clearly that sign should not be equated with constellation, because in some periods they coincided but today they do not[1]. This is the key difference between the astronomical understanding and the astrological understanding, discussed further below.
The 12 zodiac sign names in English
The twelve zodiac signs in order from the vernal equinox, with their English names, the Sino-Vietnamese names commonly used in Vietnam, and their symbols:
| Order | English | Vietnamese | Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aries | Bạch Dương | ♈ |
| 2 | Taurus | Kim Ngưu | ♉ |
| 3 | Gemini | Song Tử | ♊ |
| 4 | Cancer | Cự Giải | ♋ |
| 5 | Leo | Sư Tử | ♌ |
| 6 | Virgo | Xử Nữ | ♍ |
| 7 | Libra | Thiên Bình | ♎ |
| 8 | Scorpio | Bọ Cạp (Thiên Yết) | ♏ |
| 9 | Sagittarius | Nhân Mã | ♐ |
| 10 | Capricorn | Ma Kết | ♑ |
| 11 | Aquarius | Bảo Bình | ♒ |
| 12 | Pisces | Song Ngư | ♓ |
The table above follows the common convention in Vietnam, in which Aries is the first sign, corresponding to roughly March 21 to April 19. Some Vietnamese documents call Scorpio "Thiên Yết", others call it "Bọ Cạp"; both names refer to the same sign. Similarly, Aquarius is sometimes called "Bảo Bình" and sometimes "Thủy Bình". This is a convention of Western astrology, not an astronomical event verifiable by telescope.
Pronouncing the 12 sign names
Most learners struggle with signs such as Sagittarius, Capricorn, or Aquarius. The common English pronunciations:
- Aries: /ˈeəriːz/
- Taurus: /ˈtɔːrəs/
- Gemini: /ˈdʒemɪnaɪ/
- Cancer: /ˈkænsər/
- Leo: /ˈliːoʊ/
- Virgo: /ˈvɜːrɡoʊ/
- Libra: /ˈliːbrə/
- Scorpio: /ˈskɔːrpioʊ/
- Sagittarius: /ˌsædʒɪˈteəriəs/
- Capricorn: /ˈkæprɪkɔːrn/
- Aquarius: /əˈkweəriəs/
- Pisces: /ˈpaɪsiːz/
These are standard dictionary pronunciations; American and British variants may differ slightly in stress.
How do sign and constellation differ?
Sign is a thirty-degree division of the zodiac, measured from the vernal equinox, while constellation is a region of sky with specific boundaries defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Alan Leo emphasized this distinction in the opening of *Astrology for All*[1], and it is also the point modern astronomy often raises when discussing astrology.
The gap between the two concepts arises from axial precession, which causes the vernal equinox to drift gradually over time against the fixed stars. About two thousand years ago, the astrological sign of Aries nearly coincided with the astronomical constellation Aries. Today, due to precession, the Sun at the time called "Aries" is actually in front of the constellation Pisces according to IAU boundaries. This discrepancy is a topic of debate between astronomers and astrologers, and both sides acknowledge precession; they differ only in how they interpret its meaning.
In astrological practice, signs are still calculated from the vernal equinox rather than the actual constellations, because the entire system of houses, aspects, and ruling planets is built on the evenly divided 360-degree circle. This is an internal convention of the discipline, not an astronomical claim.
Why are there multiple ways to name signs in English?
At least three naming conventions coexist in English, and which one to use depends on context.
The first is the classical Latin name, such as Aries, Taurus, Gemini. This is the standard in Western astrological texts from the 19th century and earlier, and it remains in most professional documents today.
The second is the English or descriptive name, such as the Ram for Aries, the Bull for Taurus, the Twins for Gemini, the Crab for Cancer, the Lion for Leo, the Maiden for Virgo, the Scales for Libra, the Scorpion for Scorpio, the Archer for Sagittarius, the Goat for Capricorn, the Water Bearer for Aquarius, the Fishes for Pisces. These appear often in speech and popular writing.
The third is the three-letter abbreviation, such as Ari, Tau, Gem, Can, Leo, Vir, Lib, Sco, Sag, Cap, Aqu, Pis. This is used in tables, chart software, and quick notes.
These three conventions do not contradict each other; they differ only in formality. When writing for a general audience, the full name with the Vietnamese equivalent in parentheses is usually easiest to follow.
Related English terms you need to know
When reading English astrological texts, learners will encounter a range of terms that accompany zodiac. The table below gathers the most common:
| English | Vietnamese meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| zodiac | hoàng đạo | The 360-degree circle divided into 12 signs |
| zodiac sign | cung hoàng đạo | A 30-degree division of the zodiac |
| sun sign | cung Mặt Trời | The sign by birth date in popular use |
| moon sign | cung Mặt Trăng | Requires an exact birth time |
| rising sign / ascendant | cung Mọc | The sign rising on the horizon at birth |
| horoscope | lá số, tử vi | A map of the sky at a given time |
| house | nhà | One of twelve divisions of a chart by birth time |
| aspect | góc hợp | The angle between two planets |
| ruling planet | hành tinh chủ quản | The planet associated with a sign |
| constellation | chòm sao | An astronomical concept, distinct from sign |
The distinction between sun sign, moon sign, and rising sign is a convention of modern Western astrology. In popular Vietnamese understanding, usually only the sun sign is used, that is, the sign by solar calendar birth date.
Translating sign names into Vietnamese: common pitfalls
Translating sign names from English into Vietnamese has a few points to watch to avoid confusion.
First, Virgo is translated as Xử Nữ, sometimes Trinh Nữ. Both are correct, but Xử Nữ is more common in Vietnamese documents.
Second, Scorpio has two translations: Bọ Cạp and Thiên Yết. Some documents also use Hổ Cáp. All three names refer to the same sign.
Third, Capricorn is translated as Ma Kết or Nam Dương. Ma Kết is common in astrological texts; Nam Dương appears in older books or East Asian cultural contexts.
Fourth, Aquarius has two translations: Bảo Bình and Thủy Bình. Bảo Bình is more common in popular articles.
Fifth, Cancer in English is also the name of a disease, so when searching, add the keyword "zodiac" or "astrology" to avoid mixed results.
Is a zodiac sign the same as a horoscope?
Many people use zodiac sign and horoscope as if they were synonyms, but they are not. A zodiac sign is a division of the zodiac, for example Aries is one sign. A horoscope is a chart, that is, a map of the sky at a specific moment, including the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, houses, and aspects. A horoscope contains many zodiac signs, not one.
In popular English, horoscope is also used to refer to the daily forecast column in newspapers, for example "daily horoscope". This usage is common but technically inaccurate. When reading professional texts, horoscope should be understood as a full chart.
Why do Vietnamese speakers often ask "what is 'cung hoàng đạo' in English?"
This question usually stems from three practical needs: looking up foreign information, writing bilingual content, and studying original English astrological texts. For the first, remembering zodiac sign is enough. For the second, pay attention to capitalization: sign names in English are always capitalized, for example Aries, Taurus, not aries. For the third, you need the accompanying terms such as house, aspect, and ruling planet listed above.
One more point: in English, zodiac can be used as a countable noun when referring to different zodiac systems. For example the Western zodiac, the Chinese zodiac (the 12 animal signs). This usage helps distinguish two systems that are very different in principle and calculation. The Western zodiac is divided by the vernal equinox and uses solar dates; the Chinese zodiac is divided by the Can Chi cycle and uses lunar dates. The two systems are not interchangeable.
In short
'Cung hoàng đạo' in English is zodiac signs, and each sign has its own Latin name such as Aries, Taurus, Gemini. Sign must be distinguished from constellation because axial precession has shifted them apart. When looking up or writing bilingually, use the full name with the Vietnamese equivalent in parentheses to avoid confusion, and remember that zodiac sign differs from horoscope technically.
