中国传统的天干地支纪年法由十干和十二支依次相配，组成六十个基本单位，两者按固定的顺序互相配合而成。
The Chinese sexagenary cycle, also known as Stems-and-Branches, is a cyclic numeral system of 60 combinations of the two basic cycles, the ten Heavenly Stemsand the twelve Earthly Branches.

tiānɡān　jiǎ　　yǐ　　bǐnɡ　dīnɡ　wù　　jǐ　ɡēnɡ　xīn　　rén　ɡuǐ

天干：　　甲　　乙　　丙　　丁　　戊　　己　　庚　　辛　　壬　　癸

dìzhī 　　　zǐ　chǒu　yín　mǎo　chén　sì　　wǔ　　wèi　shēn　yǒu　xū　　hài

地支:　　　子　　丑　　寅　　卯　　辰　　巳　　午　　未　　申　　酉　　戌　　亥


天干有十个，表示五行的阴阳(yīnyánɡ)变化，是中国古代的一种文字计序符号。最早这类用于计算和记载数目的文字出现在中国古代殷商时期，现代也经常用于等级的划分。
Ten　Heavenly　stems　are　a set of characters that were used to indicate order in ancient China. They are associated with the　concepts of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements of natural. Heavenly stems were already in use during the Shang Dynasty at the latest and now also used in classify the level.

地支有十二个，表示十二生肖(shēnɡxiāo)，也代表着十二个月份。从东汉开始，古人开始利用天干地支纪年法计算年份，并根据自己出生的年份决定自己的生肖。
Twelve Earthly Branches are only stand for twelve animal sign of Chinese Zodiac,but also twelve months. From the Eastern Han Dynasty, ancients used them for dates and decided the Chiese Zodiac animal according from the year of birth. The ten Heavenly Stems and the twelve Earthly Branches are the elements of an ancient Chinese cyclic character numeral system.They were used for dates as early as the Shang Dynasty, and were used with the twelve Earthly Branches in the　Sexagenary cycle from the Eastern Han Dynasty.

在干支排序中，天干中甲为第一，地支中子为第一。
[en]In the arrange of Stems-and-Branches, Jia and Zi is the first of the ten Heavenly Stems and the twelve Earthly Branches respectively.

第一年至第十年：甲子 乙丑 丙寅 丁卯 戊辰 己巳 庚午 辛未 壬申 癸酉 
The combination of the first decade: Jia-Zi　Yi-Chou　Bing-Yin　Ding-Mao　Wu-Chen　Ji-Si　Geng-Wu　Xin-Wei　Ren-Shen　Gui-You 

从第二个十年开始，天干重新计数，与十二地支错位排列。
From the second decade, the Heavenly Stems arranged from the beginging. Then the combination show the malposition of sort.

第十一年至第二十年： 甲戌 乙亥 丙子 丁丑 戊寅 己卯 庚辰 辛巳 壬午 癸未
The combination of the second decade: Jia-Xu　Yi-Hai　Bing-Zi　Ding-Chou　Wu-Yin　Ji-Mao　Geng-Chen　Xin-Si　Ren-Wu　Gui-Wei

第二十一年至第三十年：　甲申 乙酉 丙戌 丁亥 戊子 己丑 庚寅 辛卯 壬辰 癸巳
The combination of the third decade: Jia-Shen　Yi-You　Bing-Xu　Ding-Hai　Wu-Zi　Ji-Chou　Geng-Yin　Xin-Mao　Ren-Chen　Gui-Si

第三十一年至第四十年：　甲午 乙未 丙申 丁酉 戊戌 己亥 庚子 辛丑 壬寅 癸卯
The combination of the fourth decade: Jia-Wu　Yi-Wei　Bing-Shen　Ding-You　Wu-Xu　Ji-Hai　Geng-Zi　Xin-Chou　Ren-Yin　Gui-Mao

第四十一年至第五十年：　甲辰 乙巳 丙午 丁未 戊申 己酉 庚戌 辛亥 壬子 癸丑
The combination of the fifth decade: Jia-Chen　Yi-Si　Bing-Wu　Ding-Wei　Wu-Shen　Ji-You　Geng-Xu　Xin-Hai　Ren-Zi　Gui-Chou

第五十一年至第六十年：　甲寅 乙卯 丙辰 丁巳 戊午 己未 庚申 辛酉 壬戌 癸亥
The combination of the sixth decade: Jia-Yin　Yi-Mao　Bing-Chen　Ding-Si　Wu-Wu　Ji-Wei　Geng-Shen　Xin-You　Ren-Xu　Gui-Hai

六十年一轮回，也称为六十花甲子。在中国，也将60岁的老人成为花甲(huājiǎ)老人。
Every sixty year is a basic cycle of the Chinese sexagenary. In China, the sixty year old man also called Hua Jia.

今年2011年是辛卯(xīnmǎo)年，也可以称为兔(tù)年。
This year is Xin-Mao year and it is also a Hare year.

词汇笔记
New Word Note

天干(tiānɡān)：
Heavenly Stems

地支(dìzhǐ)：
Earthly Branches

天干干支(tiānɡān dìzhǐ)：
The Chinese sexagenary cycle

生肖(shēnɡxiāo)：
The animal sign of the Chinese Zodiac

The twlve animals are Rat,Ox,Tiger,Hare,Dargon,Snake,Horse,Sheep,Monkey,Cock,Dog, Boar. Any of the twelve animals represents the twelve Earthly Branches, used to symbolize the year in which a person is born.

阴阳(yīnyánɡ)：
Yin-Yang

The two opposing principles in nature,the former feminine and negative and the latter masculine and positive. Yin-Yang is one of basic theory of traditional Chinese cultrue.

花甲(huājiǎ)：
Hua Jia

It stands for a cycle of sixty years according to the Chinese sexagenary cycle.