‘星座’ (xīngzuò) literally combines ‘星’ (xīng), meaning ‘star’, and ‘座’ (zuò), meaning ‘seat’ or ‘position’ — together suggesting ‘a group of stars in a fixed position’. In astronomy, it refers to one of the 88 officially recognized constellations used to map the night sky. In everyday Chinese, however, ‘星座’ most commonly means ‘zodiac sign’ — the 12 signs (e.g., Aries, Taurus) linked to birth dates and popular in horoscopes.

The word is neutral in register and widely used in both casual conversation and media. While astronomers use it technically, most speakers encounter it in contexts like personality discussions (‘你的星座是什么？’), relationship compatibility, or pop-culture references. It’s rarely used without context — you wouldn’t say ‘看星座’ alone; instead, you’d say ‘看星座运势’ (check your zodiac fortune) or ‘辨认星座’ (identify constellations).