How to find your Chinese zodiac sign
You can answer “what is my Chinese zodiac sign” by hand in three steps. The calculator above does the same thing automatically.
- Find your birth year in the table below. Each year belongs to one of the twelve animals, in a fixed order that repeats every 12 years.
- If you were born in January or February, check Chinese New Year. It falls on a different date every year, between 21 January and 20 February. Born before it, you take the animal of the previous year. Born on 30 January 1990, you are a Horse, because Chinese New Year was on 27 January that year. Born on 10 February 1985, you are a Rat, not an Ox, because the Ox year only began on 20 February 1985.
- Add the element and yin–yang from the last digit of your zodiac year. 0 or 1 is Metal, 2 or 3 is Water, 4 or 5 is Wood, 6 or 7 is Fire, 8 or 9 is Earth. Even years are yang and odd years are yin. 1990 is therefore a Yang Metal Horse year.
Chinese zodiac signs by year
For most people, the quickest answer to “what is my Chinese zodiac sign” is in this table. The years below start on Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. If your birthday is in January or February, use the calculator above to check the exact start date of your year.
| Sign | Years | Branch |
|---|---|---|
| Rat 鼠 | 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032 | 子 |
| Ox 牛 | 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033 | 丑 |
| Tiger 虎 | 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 | 寅 |
| Rabbit 兔 | 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035 | 卯 |
| Dragon 龙 | 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036 | 辰 |
| Snake 蛇 | 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 | 巳 |
| Horse 马 | 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038 | 午 |
| Sheep (Goat) 羊 | 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039 | 未 |
| Monkey 猴 | 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040 | 申 |
| Rooster 鸡 | 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041 | 酉 |
| Dog 狗 | 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042 | 戌 |
| Pig 猪 | 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043 | 亥 |
The 12 Chinese zodiac animals and their traits
Folk tradition gives each animal a character. These are cultural associations rather than predictions, but they explain why people ask “what is my Chinese zodiac sign” in the first place: the animal is a shorthand for temperament, and for who you get along with.
Rat 鼠
Quick-witted, resourceful and adaptable. Good with money and quick to spot an opportunity.
Ox 牛
Diligent, dependable and patient. Slow to start, impossible to stop once committed.
Tiger 虎
Brave, confident and competitive. A natural leader with a taste for risk.
Rabbit 兔
Gentle, elegant and cautious. Values peace, comfort and good manners.
Dragon 龙
Ambitious, energetic and charismatic. The most celebrated sign, and it knows it.
Snake 蛇
Wise, intuitive and calm. Private, thoughtful and hard to fool.
Horse 马
Free-spirited, energetic and sociable. Loves movement, dislikes being tied down.
Sheep (Goat) 羊
Gentle, creative and caring. Happiest at home and among family.
Monkey 猴
Clever, curious and playful. Inventive, and a quick problem-solver.
Rooster 鸡
Observant, hardworking and punctual. Honest to the point of bluntness.
Dog 狗
Loyal, honest and protective. A fierce friend with a strong sense of justice.
Pig 猪
Generous, easygoing and sincere. Enjoys good food and good company.
In Vietnam the same cycle is used with two local animals: the Cat takes the place of the Rabbit and the Water Buffalo takes the place of the Ox.
Your Chinese zodiac element and yin–yang
The animal repeats every 12 years, but each year also carries one of the Five Elements, which changes every two years. Combine the two and you get a 60-year cycle, which is why someone born in 1990 is a Metal Horse while someone born in 2002 is a Water Horse.
| Last digit of the year | Element | Heavenly Stem | Polarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Metal | 庚 Geng | Yang |
| 1 | Metal | 辛 Xin | Yin |
| 2 | Water | 壬 Ren | Yang |
| 3 | Water | 癸 Gui | Yin |
| 4 | Wood | 甲 Jia | Yang |
| 5 | Wood | 乙 Yi | Yin |
| 6 | Fire | 丙 Bing | Yang |
| 7 | Fire | 丁 Ding | Yin |
| 8 | Earth | 戊 Wu | Yang |
| 9 | Earth | 己 Ji | Yin |
Use the year your zodiac year started, not your calendar birth year. Someone born on 10 February 1985 belongs to the 1984 year, so they are a Wood Rat (甲子), not a Wood Ox.
Born in January or February? Chinese New Year vs Li Chun
There are two ways to decide when the zodiac year begins, and most of the confusion about Chinese zodiac signs comes from mixing them up.
- Chinese New Year is the first day of the lunar calendar, usually the second new moon after the winter solstice. It falls between 21 January and 20 February. Zodiac tables, festivals and most people use this date.
- Li Chun (立春, Start of Spring) is a solar term on 3, 4 or 5 February. Bazi astrology, Feng Shui and the Chinese almanac start the year here.
If you were born between the two dates, you have one animal by Chinese New Year and another in Bazi:
| Birthday | Chinese New Year that year | Zodiac sign | Bazi animal (Li Chun) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jan 1990 | 27 Jan 1990 | Metal Horse | Earth Snake |
| 10 Feb 1985 | 20 Feb 1985 | Wood Rat | Wood Ox |
| 5 Feb 2024 | 10 Feb 2024 | Water Rabbit | Wood Dragon |
| 5 Feb 2027 | 6 Feb 2027 | Fire Horse | Fire Sheep |
Neither answer is wrong; they answer different questions. For everyday use, festivals and compatibility tables, use the Chinese New Year sign. For a Bazi chart, the Li Chun rule applies, and the exact minute of Li Chun matters too.
Chinese zodiac compatibility at a glance
Once you know your Chinese zodiac sign, the next question is usually who you match with. Traditional compatibility rests on four relationships between the twelve branches:
| Relationship | Pairs or groups | Traditional meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Six Harmony 六合 | Rat–Ox, Tiger–Pig, Rabbit–Dog, Dragon–Rooster, Snake–Monkey, Horse–Sheep | The closest partnerships |
| Three Harmony 三合 | Rat–Dragon–Monkey, Ox–Snake–Rooster, Tiger–Horse–Dog, Rabbit–Sheep–Pig | Natural allies who share goals |
| Clash 冲 | Rat–Horse, Ox–Sheep, Tiger–Monkey, Rabbit–Rooster, Dragon–Dog, Snake–Pig | Opposite signs; attraction with friction |
| Harm 害 | Rat–Sheep, Ox–Horse, Tiger–Snake, Rabbit–Dragon, Monkey–Pig, Rooster–Dog | Small, persistent misunderstandings |
Chinese zodiac calculator vs Bazi calculator
A Chinese zodiac calculator, sometimes called a Chinese astrology calculator or Chinese horoscope calculator, answers one question: what is my Chinese zodiac sign, or in other words, which animal year was I born in? It needs only your date of birth. Your zodiac sign is a single character, the branch of your year pillar.
A Bazi calculator reads the full moment of birth: year, month, day and hour, eight characters in all. It shows your Day Master, your balance of the Five Elements and your ten-year Luck Pillars. Two people with the same zodiac sign can have completely different Bazi charts. If you want the whole picture, try the free Bazi calculator; if you want to know what the next year holds for your sign, see Chinese Zodiac 2027: Year of the Fire Sheep.
Chinese zodiac sign FAQ
How do I find my Chinese zodiac sign?
Your Chinese zodiac sign is the animal of the Chinese year you were born in. Find your birth year in the table, but if you were born in January or February, first check whether your birthday came before Chinese New Year that year. If it did, your sign is the animal of the previous year.
What are the 12 Chinese zodiac signs in order?
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep (Goat), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The cycle repeats every 12 years, so 2020 was a Rat year, 2026 is a Horse year and 2027 is a Sheep year.
What is my Chinese zodiac sign if I was born in January or February?
It depends on the date of Chinese New Year in your birth year, which falls between 21 January and 20 February. Born before it, you belong to the previous year's animal. For example, someone born on 10 February 1985 is a Rat, because Chinese New Year 1985 was on 20 February.
How do I know my Chinese zodiac element?
Look at the last digit of your Chinese zodiac year: 0 or 1 is Metal, 2 or 3 is Water, 4 or 5 is Wood, 6 or 7 is Fire, and 8 or 9 is Earth. Even years are yang and odd years are yin, so 1990 is a Yang Metal Horse year.
Why do some sites give me a different Chinese zodiac sign?
Most zodiac tables change the animal at Chinese New Year, while Bazi and the Chinese almanac change it at Li Chun, around 4 February. If you were born between the two dates, the two methods give different animals. Some simple tables also ignore Chinese New Year and use 1 January, which is wrong for January and early February birthdays.
Is the Chinese zodiac based on the lunar calendar?
The popular zodiac year begins on the first day of the lunar calendar, Chinese New Year, which is set by the new moon. Bazi astrology uses the solar calendar instead and begins the year at the solar term Li Chun. Both use the same twelve animals.
What is the difference between the Chinese and Western zodiac?
The Western zodiac assigns one of twelve signs by the month and day you were born. The Chinese zodiac assigns one of twelve animals by your birth year, and adds an element and yin–yang that complete a 60-year cycle.
Know your sign? See the other seven characters.
Your zodiac animal is one character of your Bazi chart. The free Bazi calculator shows all eight, with your Day Master, Five Elements and Luck Pillars.
Open the Bazi calculator