Your Day of Birth

Chinese zodiac

Find your animal and element from your exact birthday, then see what tradition says about your sign: personality, lucky numbers and colors, and who you match best with.

Find your animal

The Chinese year starts at Lunar New Year, between January 21 and February 20, so a January or early February birthday often belongs to the year before. We use the exact date. We don’t save your birthdate or link it to you.

This year

The Year of the Fire Horse

From February 17, 2026 to February 5, 2027.

All about the Horse →

The 12 animals

Rat1984, 1996, 2008, 2020Ox1985, 1997, 2009, 2021Tiger1986, 1998, 2010, 2022Rabbit1987, 1999, 2011, 2023Dragon1988, 2000, 2012, 2024Snake1989, 2001, 2013, 2025Horse1990, 2002, 2014, 2026Goat1979, 1991, 2003, 2015Monkey1980, 1992, 2004, 2016Rooster1981, 1993, 2005, 2017Dog1982, 1994, 2006, 2018Pig1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

How it works

The Chinese zodiac gives each year to one of 12 animals, always in the same order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Legend says the Jade Emperor ranked them by the order they finished a great race. The clever Rat rode across the river on the Ox and jumped off first.

Each year also has one of five elements, Metal, Water, Wood, Fire or Earth, which take turns every two years. Twelve animals times five elements makes a 60-year cycle, so the same animal-and-element pair, like the Fire Horse, comes around once every 60 years. Animals alternate between yang (Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Dog) and yin (Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Goat, Rooster, Pig).

The year changes at Lunar New Year, not on January 1. It falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, somewhere between January 21 and February 20.

The five elements

Metal
Metal adds determination and backbone. Metal types set high standards, keep their word and don't give up easily.
Water
Water adds intuition and flexibility. Water types read people well, adapt fast and are good at finding a way around problems.
Wood
Wood adds warmth and generosity. Wood types are cooperative and fair, and they like to see things, and people, grow.
Fire
Fire adds passion and drive. Fire types are bold, energetic and hard to ignore, sometimes a little too fast to act.
Earth
Earth adds steadiness and common sense. Earth types are practical, patient and the person everyone relies on.

Chinese zodiac years, 1924 to 2043

YearDatesAnimal
1924Feb 5, 1924 to Jan 23, 1925Wood Rat
1925Jan 24, 1925 to Feb 12, 1926Wood Ox
1926Feb 13, 1926 to Feb 1, 1927Fire Tiger
1927Feb 2, 1927 to Jan 22, 1928Fire Rabbit
1928Jan 23, 1928 to Feb 9, 1929Earth Dragon
1929Feb 10, 1929 to Jan 29, 1930Earth Snake
1930Jan 30, 1930 to Feb 16, 1931Metal Horse
1931Feb 17, 1931 to Feb 5, 1932Metal Goat
1932Feb 6, 1932 to Jan 25, 1933Water Monkey
1933Jan 26, 1933 to Feb 13, 1934Water Rooster
1934Feb 14, 1934 to Feb 3, 1935Wood Dog
1935Feb 4, 1935 to Jan 23, 1936Wood Pig
1936Jan 24, 1936 to Feb 10, 1937Fire Rat
1937Feb 11, 1937 to Jan 30, 1938Fire Ox
1938Jan 31, 1938 to Feb 18, 1939Earth Tiger
1939Feb 19, 1939 to Feb 7, 1940Earth Rabbit
1940Feb 8, 1940 to Jan 26, 1941Metal Dragon
1941Jan 27, 1941 to Feb 14, 1942Metal Snake
1942Feb 15, 1942 to Feb 4, 1943Water Horse
1943Feb 5, 1943 to Jan 24, 1944Water Goat
1944Jan 25, 1944 to Feb 12, 1945Wood Monkey
1945Feb 13, 1945 to Feb 1, 1946Wood Rooster
1946Feb 2, 1946 to Jan 21, 1947Fire Dog
1947Jan 22, 1947 to Feb 9, 1948Fire Pig
1948Feb 10, 1948 to Jan 28, 1949Earth Rat
1949Jan 29, 1949 to Feb 16, 1950Earth Ox
1950Feb 17, 1950 to Feb 5, 1951Metal Tiger
1951Feb 6, 1951 to Jan 26, 1952Metal Rabbit
1952Jan 27, 1952 to Feb 13, 1953Water Dragon
1953Feb 14, 1953 to Feb 2, 1954Water Snake
1954Feb 3, 1954 to Jan 23, 1955Wood Horse
1955Jan 24, 1955 to Feb 11, 1956Wood Goat
1956Feb 12, 1956 to Jan 30, 1957Fire Monkey
1957Jan 31, 1957 to Feb 17, 1958Fire Rooster
1958Feb 18, 1958 to Feb 7, 1959Earth Dog
1959Feb 8, 1959 to Jan 27, 1960Earth Pig
1960Jan 28, 1960 to Feb 14, 1961Metal Rat
1961Feb 15, 1961 to Feb 4, 1962Metal Ox
1962Feb 5, 1962 to Jan 24, 1963Water Tiger
1963Jan 25, 1963 to Feb 12, 1964Water Rabbit
1964Feb 13, 1964 to Feb 1, 1965Wood Dragon
1965Feb 2, 1965 to Jan 20, 1966Wood Snake
1966Jan 21, 1966 to Feb 8, 1967Fire Horse
1967Feb 9, 1967 to Jan 29, 1968Fire Goat
1968Jan 30, 1968 to Feb 16, 1969Earth Monkey
1969Feb 17, 1969 to Feb 5, 1970Earth Rooster
1970Feb 6, 1970 to Jan 26, 1971Metal Dog
1971Jan 27, 1971 to Feb 14, 1972Metal Pig
1972Feb 15, 1972 to Feb 2, 1973Water Rat
1973Feb 3, 1973 to Jan 22, 1974Water Ox
1974Jan 23, 1974 to Feb 10, 1975Wood Tiger
1975Feb 11, 1975 to Jan 30, 1976Wood Rabbit
1976Jan 31, 1976 to Feb 17, 1977Fire Dragon
1977Feb 18, 1977 to Feb 6, 1978Fire Snake
1978Feb 7, 1978 to Jan 27, 1979Earth Horse
1979Jan 28, 1979 to Feb 15, 1980Earth Goat
1980Feb 16, 1980 to Feb 4, 1981Metal Monkey
1981Feb 5, 1981 to Jan 24, 1982Metal Rooster
1982Jan 25, 1982 to Feb 12, 1983Water Dog
1983Feb 13, 1983 to Feb 1, 1984Water Pig
1984Feb 2, 1984 to Feb 19, 1985Wood Rat
1985Feb 20, 1985 to Feb 8, 1986Wood Ox
1986Feb 9, 1986 to Jan 28, 1987Fire Tiger
1987Jan 29, 1987 to Feb 16, 1988Fire Rabbit
1988Feb 17, 1988 to Feb 5, 1989Earth Dragon
1989Feb 6, 1989 to Jan 26, 1990Earth Snake
1990Jan 27, 1990 to Feb 14, 1991Metal Horse
1991Feb 15, 1991 to Feb 3, 1992Metal Goat
1992Feb 4, 1992 to Jan 22, 1993Water Monkey
1993Jan 23, 1993 to Feb 9, 1994Water Rooster
1994Feb 10, 1994 to Jan 30, 1995Wood Dog
1995Jan 31, 1995 to Feb 18, 1996Wood Pig
1996Feb 19, 1996 to Feb 6, 1997Fire Rat
1997Feb 7, 1997 to Jan 27, 1998Fire Ox
1998Jan 28, 1998 to Feb 15, 1999Earth Tiger
1999Feb 16, 1999 to Feb 4, 2000Earth Rabbit
2000Feb 5, 2000 to Jan 23, 2001Metal Dragon
2001Jan 24, 2001 to Feb 11, 2002Metal Snake
2002Feb 12, 2002 to Jan 31, 2003Water Horse
2003Feb 1, 2003 to Jan 21, 2004Water Goat
2004Jan 22, 2004 to Feb 8, 2005Wood Monkey
2005Feb 9, 2005 to Jan 28, 2006Wood Rooster
2006Jan 29, 2006 to Feb 17, 2007Fire Dog
2007Feb 18, 2007 to Feb 6, 2008Fire Pig
2008Feb 7, 2008 to Jan 25, 2009Earth Rat
2009Jan 26, 2009 to Feb 13, 2010Earth Ox
2010Feb 14, 2010 to Feb 2, 2011Metal Tiger
2011Feb 3, 2011 to Jan 22, 2012Metal Rabbit
2012Jan 23, 2012 to Feb 9, 2013Water Dragon
2013Feb 10, 2013 to Jan 30, 2014Water Snake
2014Jan 31, 2014 to Feb 18, 2015Wood Horse
2015Feb 19, 2015 to Feb 7, 2016Wood Goat
2016Feb 8, 2016 to Jan 27, 2017Fire Monkey
2017Jan 28, 2017 to Feb 15, 2018Fire Rooster
2018Feb 16, 2018 to Feb 4, 2019Earth Dog
2019Feb 5, 2019 to Jan 24, 2020Earth Pig
2020Jan 25, 2020 to Feb 11, 2021Metal Rat
2021Feb 12, 2021 to Jan 31, 2022Metal Ox
2022Feb 1, 2022 to Jan 21, 2023Water Tiger
2023Jan 22, 2023 to Feb 9, 2024Water Rabbit
2024Feb 10, 2024 to Jan 28, 2025Wood Dragon
2025Jan 29, 2025 to Feb 16, 2026Wood Snake
2026Feb 17, 2026 to Feb 5, 2027Fire Horse
2027Feb 6, 2027 to Jan 25, 2028Fire Goat
2028Jan 26, 2028 to Feb 12, 2029Earth Monkey
2029Feb 13, 2029 to Feb 2, 2030Earth Rooster
2030Feb 3, 2030 to Jan 22, 2031Metal Dog
2031Jan 23, 2031 to Feb 10, 2032Metal Pig
2032Feb 11, 2032 to Jan 30, 2033Water Rat
2033Jan 31, 2033 to Feb 18, 2034Water Ox
2034Feb 19, 2034 to Feb 7, 2035Wood Tiger
2035Feb 8, 2035 to Jan 27, 2036Wood Rabbit
2036Jan 28, 2036 to Feb 14, 2037Fire Dragon
2037Feb 15, 2037 to Feb 3, 2038Fire Snake
2038Feb 4, 2038 to Jan 23, 2039Earth Horse
2039Jan 24, 2039 to Feb 11, 2040Earth Goat
2040Feb 12, 2040 to Jan 31, 2041Metal Monkey
2041Feb 1, 2041 to Jan 21, 2042Metal Rooster
2042Jan 22, 2042 to Feb 9, 2043Water Dog
2043Feb 10, 2043 to Jan 29, 2044Water Pig

Lunar New Year dates are calculated from the Chinese calendar and checked against a published table for 1924 to 2043. Personality traits, lucky numbers, colors and flowers, and compatibility come from tradition and are shared for fun, not as predictions. Lucky items follow China Highlights' zodiac guide.