MySkySoul

Chinese zodiac: Twelve animals, five elements, one 60-year cycle.

Each Chinese year is named after one of 12 animals and one of five elements, and it starts at Chinese New Year — not on 1 January. Enter your birth date to find your sign from the exact New Year date.

Which Chinese year is it now?

The 12 animals

Rat

1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032

Ox (Buffalo)

1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033

Tiger

1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034

Rabbit (Hare)

1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035

Dragon

1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036

Snake

1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037

Horse

1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038

Goat (Sheep or Ram)

1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027

Monkey

1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028

Rooster (Chicken)

1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029

Dog

1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030

Pig (Boar)

1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031

Years shown are the Gregorian years in which each Chinese year begins; January and early-February birthdays belong to the previous animal. See the full chart with exact dates, 1900–2100.

How the Chinese zodiac works

Animals and Earthly Branches

The 12 animals stand for the 12 Earthly Branches, an ancient Chinese counting system also used for months and two-hour periods of the day. The animal changes every Chinese year, so each returns every 12 years.

Elements and Heavenly Stems

Ten Heavenly Stems — the five elements Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, each in a yang and a yin form — change the element every two years. Stems and branches together give 60 year names before the cycle repeats. Find your element.

When the year starts

The Chinese year begins at Chinese New Year, the new moon that starts the first lunar month, between 21 January and 20 February in China time. Four Pillars astrology uses Lichun, the Start of Spring, around 4 February instead. All New Year dates.

Compatibility

Classical Chinese astrology groups the animals into trines, “secret friend” pairs, clashes and harms. Check any two animals.

Dates are calculated from the Sun and Moon in China Standard Time and match the Hong Kong Observatory tables for 1901–2100. Astrology offers themes for reflection, not predictions.

Questions and answers

What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in order?

Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Each repeats every 12 years, and combined with the five elements the full cycle of year names repeats every 60 years.

How do I find my Chinese zodiac sign?

Find the Chinese year you were born in: it starts at Chinese New Year, between 21 January and 20 February, not on 1 January. The Chinese zodiac calculator does this from your birth date, and the years chart lists every year from 1900 to 2100.

Why is there a Cat in the Vietnamese zodiac but not the Chinese one?

Vietnam replaces the Rabbit with the Cat and the Ox with the Buffalo; the other ten animals are the same. Legend says the Cat missed the race that decided the order because the Rat did not wake it.

What time zone does the Chinese calendar use?

China Standard Time (UTC+8). The new moon that starts the year is dated in China time, which is why Chinese New Year can fall on a different day than the new moon in the Americas or Europe.