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Chinese zodiac · Years

Chinese zodiac years

Every year from 1900 to 2050, with its animal, element and the exact date the zodiac year began.

Read this before you look up your year

The Chinese zodiac year does not start on 1 January. It starts at Chinese New Year, which falls between 21 January and 20 February and moves every year. If you were born before that date, your sign is the previous year's — which is roughly one birthday in nine, and the single most common reason people are told the wrong animal.

Every year, 1900–2050

Chinese zodiac years with animal, element, polarity and the date the zodiac year began
YearAnimalElementYin / yangYear began
2050馬 HorsemetalyangJanuary 23
2049蛇 SnakeearthyinFebruary 2
2048龍 DragonearthyangFebruary 14
2047兔 RabbitfireyinJanuary 26
2046虎 TigerfireyangFebruary 6
2045牛 OxwoodyinFebruary 17
2044鼠 RatwoodyangJanuary 30
2043豬 PigwateryinFebruary 10
2042狗 DogwateryangJanuary 22
2041雞 RoostermetalyinFebruary 1
2040猴 MonkeymetalyangFebruary 12
2039羊 GoatearthyinJanuary 24
2038馬 HorseearthyangFebruary 4
2037蛇 SnakefireyinFebruary 15
2036龍 DragonfireyangJanuary 28
2035兔 RabbitwoodyinFebruary 8
2034虎 TigerwoodyangFebruary 19
2033牛 OxwateryinJanuary 31
2032鼠 RatwateryangFebruary 11
2031豬 PigmetalyinJanuary 23
2030狗 DogmetalyangFebruary 3
2029雞 RoosterearthyinFebruary 13
2028猴 MonkeyearthyangJanuary 26
2027羊 GoatfireyinFebruary 6
2026馬 HorsefireyangFebruary 17
2025蛇 SnakewoodyinJanuary 29
2024龍 DragonwoodyangFebruary 10
2023兔 RabbitwateryinJanuary 22
2022虎 TigerwateryangFebruary 1
2021牛 OxmetalyinFebruary 12
2020鼠 RatmetalyangJanuary 25
2019豬 PigearthyinFebruary 5
2018狗 DogearthyangFebruary 16
2017雞 RoosterfireyinJanuary 28
2016猴 MonkeyfireyangFebruary 8
2015羊 GoatwoodyinFebruary 19
2014馬 HorsewoodyangJanuary 31
2013蛇 SnakewateryinFebruary 10
2012龍 DragonwateryangJanuary 23
2011兔 RabbitmetalyinFebruary 3
2010虎 TigermetalyangFebruary 14
2009牛 OxearthyinJanuary 26
2008鼠 RatearthyangFebruary 7
2007豬 PigfireyinFebruary 18
2006狗 DogfireyangJanuary 29
2005雞 RoosterwoodyinFebruary 9
2004猴 MonkeywoodyangJanuary 22
2003羊 GoatwateryinFebruary 1
2002馬 HorsewateryangFebruary 12
2001蛇 SnakemetalyinJanuary 24
2000龍 DragonmetalyangFebruary 5
1999兔 RabbitearthyinFebruary 16
1998虎 TigerearthyangJanuary 28
1997牛 OxfireyinFebruary 7
1996鼠 RatfireyangFebruary 19
1995豬 PigwoodyinJanuary 31
1994狗 DogwoodyangFebruary 10
1993雞 RoosterwateryinJanuary 23
1992猴 MonkeywateryangFebruary 4
1991羊 GoatmetalyinFebruary 15
1990馬 HorsemetalyangJanuary 27
1989蛇 SnakeearthyinFebruary 6
1988龍 DragonearthyangFebruary 17
1987兔 RabbitfireyinJanuary 29
1986虎 TigerfireyangFebruary 9
1985牛 OxwoodyinFebruary 20
1984鼠 RatwoodyangFebruary 2
1983豬 PigwateryinFebruary 13
1982狗 DogwateryangJanuary 25
1981雞 RoostermetalyinFebruary 5
1980猴 MonkeymetalyangFebruary 16
1979羊 GoatearthyinJanuary 28
1978馬 HorseearthyangFebruary 7
1977蛇 SnakefireyinFebruary 18
1976龍 DragonfireyangJanuary 31
1975兔 RabbitwoodyinFebruary 11
1974虎 TigerwoodyangJanuary 23
1973牛 OxwateryinFebruary 3
1972鼠 RatwateryangFebruary 15
1971豬 PigmetalyinJanuary 27
1970狗 DogmetalyangFebruary 6
1969雞 RoosterearthyinFebruary 17
1968猴 MonkeyearthyangJanuary 30
1967羊 GoatfireyinFebruary 9
1966馬 HorsefireyangJanuary 21
1965蛇 SnakewoodyinFebruary 2
1964龍 DragonwoodyangFebruary 13
1963兔 RabbitwateryinJanuary 25
1962虎 TigerwateryangFebruary 5
1961牛 OxmetalyinFebruary 15
1960鼠 RatmetalyangJanuary 28
1959豬 PigearthyinFebruary 8
1958狗 DogearthyangFebruary 18
1957雞 RoosterfireyinJanuary 31
1956猴 MonkeyfireyangFebruary 12
1955羊 GoatwoodyinJanuary 24
1954馬 HorsewoodyangFebruary 3
1953蛇 SnakewateryinFebruary 14
1952龍 DragonwateryangJanuary 27
1951兔 RabbitmetalyinFebruary 6
1950虎 TigermetalyangFebruary 17
1949牛 OxearthyinJanuary 29
1948鼠 RatearthyangFebruary 10
1947豬 PigfireyinJanuary 22
1946狗 DogfireyangFebruary 2
1945雞 RoosterwoodyinFebruary 13
1944猴 MonkeywoodyangJanuary 25
1943羊 GoatwateryinFebruary 5
1942馬 HorsewateryangFebruary 15
1941蛇 SnakemetalyinJanuary 27
1940龍 DragonmetalyangFebruary 8
1939兔 RabbitearthyinFebruary 19
1938虎 TigerearthyangJanuary 31
1937牛 OxfireyinFebruary 11
1936鼠 RatfireyangJanuary 24
1935豬 PigwoodyinFebruary 4
1934狗 DogwoodyangFebruary 14
1933雞 RoosterwateryinJanuary 26
1932猴 MonkeywateryangFebruary 6
1931羊 GoatmetalyinFebruary 17
1930馬 HorsemetalyangJanuary 30
1929蛇 SnakeearthyinFebruary 10
1928龍 DragonearthyangJanuary 23
1927兔 RabbitfireyinFebruary 2
1926虎 TigerfireyangFebruary 13
1925牛 OxwoodyinJanuary 24
1924鼠 RatwoodyangFebruary 5
1923豬 PigwateryinFebruary 16
1922狗 DogwateryangJanuary 28
1921雞 RoostermetalyinFebruary 8
1920猴 MonkeymetalyangFebruary 20
1919羊 GoatearthyinFebruary 1
1918馬 HorseearthyangFebruary 11
1917蛇 SnakefireyinJanuary 23
1916龍 DragonfireyangFebruary 3
1915兔 RabbitwoodyinFebruary 14
1914虎 TigerwoodyangJanuary 26
1913牛 OxwateryinFebruary 6
1912鼠 RatwateryangFebruary 18
1911豬 PigmetalyinJanuary 30
1910狗 DogmetalyangFebruary 10
1909雞 RoosterearthyinJanuary 22
1908猴 MonkeyearthyangFebruary 2
1907羊 GoatfireyinFebruary 13
1906馬 HorsefireyangJanuary 25
1905蛇 SnakewoodyinFebruary 4
1904龍 DragonwoodyangFebruary 16
1903兔 RabbitwateryinJanuary 29
1902虎 TigerwateryangFebruary 8
1901牛 OxmetalyinFebruary 19
1900鼠 RatmetalyangJanuary 31

New Year dates are the observed lunisolar dates, not an approximation — they are what makes a January birthday resolve correctly.

Why the cycle is sixty years, not twelve

The twelve animals are only half of the system. Alongside them runs a ten-year cycle of five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal and water — two years for each. Twelve and ten come back into step every sixty years, and that sixty-year sexagenary cycle is the real unit.

It is why the element matters. Two people can both be Dragons and have almost nothing in common in this system: a Wood Dragon and a Metal Dragon are separated by decades, and the element is what a practitioner reads first after the animal.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my Chinese zodiac sign?

Find your birth year in the table below and read across. The one thing that catches people out is the start date: the Chinese zodiac year begins at Chinese New Year, which falls between 21 January and 20 February, not on 1 January. If you were born before that date, your sign is the previous year's.

Why is my sign different from what I was told?

Almost always a January or early February birthday. Roughly one birthday in nine falls before Chinese New Year, and any calculator that simply divides the calendar year by twelve gets those wrong. The New Year column here shows the exact date each zodiac year began.

What is the element next to my animal?

The five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal and water — run on a ten-year cycle, two years each. Combined with the twelve animals that produces a sixty-year cycle, which is why a Wood Dragon comes round only once in a lifetime rather than every twelve years.

What do yin and yang mean here?

Each year is also yin or yang, alternating strictly. It follows from the same ten-year stem cycle as the element, so an animal always carries the same polarity — every Dragon year is yang, every Snake year is yin.

Keep going

Chinese zodiac calculator · Compatibility chart · All twelve animals

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