Chinese Zodiac
Chinese Zodiac: The 12 Animal Signs, and Which One Is Yours
The Chinese zodiac assigns one of twelve animals to each lunar year, on a cycle that has run for some two thousand years. Your sign comes from your birth year, but the year starts at Chinese New Year, not January 1. That cutoff is exactly where most quick lookups go wrong. If your question is what is my Chinese zodiac sign, the calculator below answers it with the cutoff built in.
2026 is the Fire Horse year. How each of the twelve signs stands in it is read on the 2026 Horse year and the 2027 Goat year, with the tai sui question answered without the fortune-telling; what Tai Sui is, and who offends it this year and next, has a page of its own.
Why the Rat leads and the Pig comes last is the folktale of the Great Race, a story far younger than the cycle it explains; we tell it in full, beside the bamboo-slip record.
Find your sign
Enter your birth date and it returns your Chinese zodiac sign and its element. If you were born in January or early February, this is where the right answer differs from the placemat version. For everything else the same birthday holds (your matches, this year and next, your kua directions, the month and hour animals), use the full Chinese zodiac calculator.
Comparing two people? See how any two signs pair on the compatibility checker.
Chinese zodiac signs by birth year
Find your birth year in the table and the animal at the head of its row is your sign. If you were born in January or early February, check the exact date in the dated chart below or use the finder above: the zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, so those birthdays often belong to the row before.
| Sign | Birth years | Fixed element |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 | Water |
| Ox | 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 | Earth |
| Tiger | 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 | Wood |
| Rabbit | 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 | Wood |
| Dragon | 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 | Earth |
| Snake | 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 | Fire |
| Horse | 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 | Fire |
| Goat | 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 | Earth |
| Monkey | 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 | Metal |
| Rooster | 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 | Metal |
| Dog | 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 | Earth |
| Pig | 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 | Water |
The fixed element belongs to the animal itself. Each year also carries a rotating element, which is why the same sign comes in five kinds; the finder gives you both, and the zodiac elements page explains the difference.
Some birth years have a page of their own, with the year's sixty-cycle name, its sound element, and what the classical manuals said about people born in it: 1990, the Metal Horse, 1992, the Water Monkey and 1993, the Water Rooster.
The 12 signs
, 2008, 2020 Sees the opportunity a full season before it ripens. Water sign. 
, 2009, 2021 Promises function as load-bearing structures. Earth sign. 
, 2010, 2022 Goes first, visibly, when going first costs something. Wood sign. 
, 2011, 2023 Reads a room to the millimeter, then improves it. Wood sign. 
, 2012, 2024 Takes charge without being asked, and usually before anyone objects. Earth sign. 
, 2013, 2025 Sees the pattern before others see the pieces. Fire sign. 
, 2014, 2026 Fast out of the gate, in work and in affection. Fire sign. 
, 2015, 2027 Kindness so consistent it reads as infrastructure. Earth sign. 
, 2016, 2028 Fastest learner on the wheel, by tradition's unanimous vote. Metal sign. 
, 2017, 2029 Delivers exactly what was promised, when it was promised. Metal sign. 
, 2018, 2030 Keeps faith across decades, distances, and better offers. Earth sign. 
, 2019, 2031 Generosity that arrives before it is asked. Water sign. 
Zodiac compatibility, honestly read
Check any two signs and see the actual branch-system rule behind the verdict: all 66 pairings, no invented percentages.
Same engine
Your sign is one reading. Here are the others.
The year-stem-and-branch behind your animal is also the first of four pillars in a fuller birth chart, and the same birth date drives a handful of other classical readings; the Chinese astrology page maps all four systems and says how accurate each is.
Bazi Calculator
Your sign is one pillar. The full chart adds month, day, and hour, then scores your whole life.
Chinese Gender Predictor
A Qing-palace parlor chart read honestly: lunar months, nominal age, and all the caveats.
Kua Number Calculator
The same birth year also assigns a trigram and four favorable directions for your home.
Spirit Animal by Birthday
Your month and your birth hour carry animals too, the inner and the secret one. All three from one date.
Chinese Age Calculator
Nominal age counts differently, see the count a grandmother would give.
Your inner animal and secret animal
English-language books on the Chinese zodiac often give you three animals: the year animal everyone knows, an "inner animal" from your month of birth, and a "secret animal" from the hour. The names are Western, but the animals are real. A full Chinese birth chart, a bazi, has four pillars, one each for the year, month, day and hour of birth, and every pillar carries an earthly branch, which is the same twelve-count that gives the year its animal. So the month has an animal, the day has one, and the hour has one, read off the same wheel. The tradition simply never singled them out with names: it reads the four together, and gives the day the leading role, not the year.
If you want yours, our birth chart prints all four from a birthday and time, with the month labeled as the inner animal and the hour as the secret one, and then reads what the four branches do to each other, which is where the tradition's real interest lies. The spirit animal by birthday page gives the three-animal version on its own, with the month boundaries handled: the month animal turns at the solar terms, not on the first of the month, which is the mistake most of the three-animal tables make.
Chinese zodiac years, 1936 to 2031
The full chart, with the exact date each zodiac year begins. Most charts on the internet pretend the year starts on January 1; this one uses the real Chinese New Year dates, so the January and February rows can be trusted. It is also the year column of a Chinese zodiac birth chart; the other three columns, for your month, day and hour, come from the bazi calculator.
| Year | Sign | Begins |
|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Fire Rat | Jan 24, 1936 |
| 1937 | Fire Ox | Feb 11, 1937 |
| 1938 | Earth Tiger | Jan 31, 1938 |
| 1939 | Earth Rabbit | Feb 19, 1939 |
| 1940 | Metal Dragon | Feb 8, 1940 |
| 1941 | Metal Snake | Jan 27, 1941 |
| 1942 | Water Horse | Feb 15, 1942 |
| 1943 | Water Goat | Feb 5, 1943 |
| 1944 | Wood Monkey | Jan 25, 1944 |
| 1945 | Wood Rooster | Feb 13, 1945 |
| 1946 | Fire Dog | Feb 2, 1946 |
| 1947 | Fire Pig | Jan 22, 1947 |
| 1948 | Earth Rat | Feb 10, 1948 |
| 1949 | Earth Ox | Jan 29, 1949 |
| 1950 | Metal Tiger | Feb 17, 1950 |
| 1951 | Metal Rabbit | Feb 6, 1951 |
| 1952 | Water Dragon | Jan 27, 1952 |
| 1953 | Water Snake | Feb 14, 1953 |
| 1954 | Wood Horse | Feb 3, 1954 |
| 1955 | Wood Goat | Jan 24, 1955 |
| 1956 | Fire Monkey | Feb 12, 1956 |
| 1957 | Fire Rooster | Jan 31, 1957 |
| 1958 | Earth Dog | Feb 18, 1958 |
| 1959 | Earth Pig | Feb 8, 1959 |
| 1960 | Metal Rat | Jan 28, 1960 |
| 1961 | Metal Ox | Feb 15, 1961 |
| 1962 | Water Tiger | Feb 5, 1962 |
| 1963 | Water Rabbit | Jan 25, 1963 |
| 1964 | Wood Dragon | Feb 13, 1964 |
| 1965 | Wood Snake | Feb 2, 1965 |
| 1966 | Fire Horse | Jan 21, 1966 |
| 1967 | Fire Goat | Feb 9, 1967 |
| 1968 | Earth Monkey | Jan 30, 1968 |
| 1969 | Earth Rooster | Feb 17, 1969 |
| 1970 | Metal Dog | Feb 6, 1970 |
| 1971 | Metal Pig | Jan 27, 1971 |
| 1972 | Water Rat | Feb 15, 1972 |
| 1973 | Water Ox | Feb 3, 1973 |
| 1974 | Wood Tiger | Jan 23, 1974 |
| 1975 | Wood Rabbit | Feb 11, 1975 |
| 1976 | Fire Dragon | Jan 31, 1976 |
| 1977 | Fire Snake | Feb 18, 1977 |
| 1978 | Earth Horse | Feb 7, 1978 |
| 1979 | Earth Goat | Jan 28, 1979 |
| 1980 | Metal Monkey | Feb 16, 1980 |
| 1981 | Metal Rooster | Feb 5, 1981 |
| 1982 | Water Dog | Jan 25, 1982 |
| 1983 | Water Pig | Feb 13, 1983 |
| 1984 | Wood Rat | Feb 2, 1984 |
| 1985 | Wood Ox | Feb 20, 1985 |
| 1986 | Fire Tiger | Feb 9, 1986 |
| 1987 | Fire Rabbit | Jan 29, 1987 |
| 1988 | Earth Dragon | Feb 17, 1988 |
| 1989 | Earth Snake | Feb 6, 1989 |
| 1990 | Metal Horse | Jan 27, 1990 |
| 1991 | Metal Goat | Feb 15, 1991 |
| 1992 | Water Monkey | Feb 4, 1992 |
| 1993 | Water Rooster | Jan 23, 1993 |
| 1994 | Wood Dog | Feb 10, 1994 |
| 1995 | Wood Pig | Jan 31, 1995 |
| 1996 | Fire Rat | Feb 19, 1996 |
| 1997 | Fire Ox | Feb 7, 1997 |
| 1998 | Earth Tiger | Jan 28, 1998 |
| 1999 | Earth Rabbit | Feb 16, 1999 |
| 2000 | Metal Dragon | Feb 5, 2000 |
| 2001 | Metal Snake | Jan 24, 2001 |
| 2002 | Water Horse | Feb 12, 2002 |
| 2003 | Water Goat | Feb 1, 2003 |
| 2004 | Wood Monkey | Jan 22, 2004 |
| 2005 | Wood Rooster | Feb 9, 2005 |
| 2006 | Fire Dog | Jan 29, 2006 |
| 2007 | Fire Pig | Feb 18, 2007 |
| 2008 | Earth Rat | Feb 7, 2008 |
| 2009 | Earth Ox | Jan 26, 2009 |
| 2010 | Metal Tiger | Feb 14, 2010 |
| 2011 | Metal Rabbit | Feb 3, 2011 |
| 2012 | Water Dragon | Jan 23, 2012 |
| 2013 | Water Snake | Feb 10, 2013 |
| 2014 | Wood Horse | Jan 31, 2014 |
| 2015 | Wood Goat | Feb 19, 2015 |
| 2016 | Fire Monkey | Feb 8, 2016 |
| 2017 | Fire Rooster | Jan 28, 2017 |
| 2018 | Earth Dog | Feb 16, 2018 |
| 2019 | Earth Pig | Feb 5, 2019 |
| 2020 | Metal Rat | Jan 25, 2020 |
| 2021 | Metal Ox | Feb 12, 2021 |
| 2022 | Water Tiger | Feb 1, 2022 |
| 2023 | Water Rabbit | Jan 22, 2023 |
| 2024 | Wood Dragon | Feb 10, 2024 |
| 2025 | Wood Snake | Jan 29, 2025 |
| 2026 | Fire Horse | Feb 17, 2026 |
| 2027 | Fire Goat | Feb 6, 2027 |
| 2028 | Earth Monkey | Jan 26, 2028 |
| 2029 | Earth Rooster | Feb 13, 2029 |
| 2030 | Metal Dog | Feb 3, 2030 |
| 2031 | Metal Pig | Jan 23, 2031 |
Prefer it on paper? There's a printable years chart of all twelve signs, free to download.
How the cycle works
The twelve animals ride on something older and plainer: a counting system of twelve "Earthly Branches" that ancient China used to mark years, months, and hours. Each branch got an animal as a mnemonic (the Rat leads, the Pig closes, and the folk account of why that order holds is the Great Race, one of the stories we tell in full), and each sign also carries one of the five Chinese zodiac elements, so 2024 was not just a Dragon year but a Wood Dragon year. The full combination only repeats every sixty years, which is why your 60th birthday is a big deal in Chinese tradition.
Because the count follows the lunar calendar, every sign's year begins at Chinese New Year, which lands anywhere from late January to mid February. A person born on February 1, 1983 is a Dog, not a Pig, even though almost every quick chart on the internet will tell them otherwise. Our finder and every year table on this site use the exact cutoff dates. (Chinese astrologers use a different boundary again, the solar date Li Chun: both rules, explained.)
The signs also relate to each other by position on the wheel: signs four apart form a trine of natural allies, each sign has one "secret friend," and the sign directly opposite is its traditional clash. That geometry, not vibes, is what sits behind every match verdict you will read here, each sign page shows its own wheel.
The same geometry is what decides where your sign stands in any given year, since the year is just another branch on the same wheel. We read all twelve against the current year, and the next, on the annual pages linked at the top of this page.
Questions people ask
How do I calculate my Chinese zodiac sign?
Take your birth year, find its animal on the twelve-year cycle, then check the date. Because a zodiac year begins at Chinese New Year rather than January 1, anyone born in January or the first days of February belongs to the previous year’s animal, which is the step most quick charts skip. The calculator at the top of this page does both, and also gives the element that goes with the year; the chart further down lists every Chinese zodiac year with the exact date it starts.
How do I find my Chinese birth animal?
Your birth year animal is what most people mean by their Chinese birth zodiac, and the finder at the top of this page returns it from your birth date, with the element and the real Chinese New Year cutoff already applied. One caveat the quick charts never raise: the phrase "birth animal" is looser than it sounds. The twelve animals sit on the twelve earthly branches, and a full birth chart carries four branches rather than one, for the year, the month, the day, and the two-hour block you were born in. Each of those has its own animal. Popular astrology writing relabels them your inner, true, and secret animals; in the classical system they are simply the other three pillars, and only the year branch is the sign you tell people. The bazi calculator casts all four pillars from your birth date and time and names the branch behind each one.
What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in order?
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The order is fixed; the folk explanation is the Great Race story, in which the Rat hitched a ride on the Ox and jumped ahead at the finish line.
What Chinese zodiac year is 2026?
2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse. It runs from Feb 17, 2026 to Feb 5, 2027.
Does the Chinese zodiac follow the lunar calendar or January 1?
The lunar calendar. Every zodiac year begins at Chinese New Year, which falls between late January and mid February, so a January or early-February birthday usually belongs to the previous year’s sign. The finder and the year chart on this page use the exact cutoff dates.
Why are there five kinds of each sign?
Each year also carries one of the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) from a parallel ten-year cycle. Sign and element only line up the same way every sixty years, which is why 2024 was specifically a Wood Dragon year and a 60th birthday is a big deal in Chinese tradition. The calculator at the top of this page gives your element with your sign; the zodiac elements page lists all sixty pairings and the three different things people mean by "your element."
What is the luckiest Chinese zodiac?
The classical system does not rank the twelve by luck, so the rankings you find circulating are editorial, not traditional. What is true is that the Dragon is the most sought-after sign: birth rates in Chinese communities still rise in Dragon years, with pregnancies timed to catch one. That is a fact about people, not a verdict about fortune. Tradition does tie luck to the cycle, but almost in reverse: the year your own sign comes back around, your benmingnian, is counted as the risky one rather than the lucky one, which is why grown adults receive red clothing from their families that year.
Which Chinese zodiac signs are compatible?
Tradition groups the signs by position on the wheel: signs four apart form a trine of natural allies, each sign has one "secret friend," and signs directly opposite are considered a clash. Each sign’s page shows its own relationship wheel, and our compatibility page lists all 66 pairings with the rule behind each verdict.