Chinese zodiac calculator: find your animal and element
The Chinese zodiac gives every year one of twelve animals, and one of five elements. Your animal depends on the date of Chinese New Year, which moves between 21 January and 20 February, so a birth year alone is not always enough. Enter your birth date below and you'll get your animal, element and how to say them in Chinese.
By Zoey (Ziqiao Zang), Chinese teacher since 2011
Chinese zodiac calculator
The 12 Chinese zodiac animals
1. Rat
鼠shǔ
Years: 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Traits: clever, quick-witted, resourceful
2. Ox
牛niú
Years: 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Traits: diligent, dependable, patient
3. Tiger
虎hǔ
Years: 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Traits: brave, confident, competitive
4. Rabbit
兔tù
Years: 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Traits: gentle, kind, elegant
5. Dragon
龙lóng
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036
Traits: ambitious, energetic, charismatic
6. Snake
蛇shé
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037
Traits: wise, intuitive, calm
7. Horse
马mǎ
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038
Traits: free-spirited, active, sociable
8. Goat
羊yáng
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039
Traits: creative, gentle, sympathetic
9. Monkey
猴hóu
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040
Traits: curious, witty, inventive
10. Rooster
鸡jī
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041
Traits: observant, hard-working, honest
11. Dog
狗gǒu
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042
Traits: loyal, honest, protective
12. Pig
猪zhū
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043
Traits: generous, warm, easy-going
The years above start at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. And the traits are traditional associations, part of the culture rather than science: I share them the way people do in China, with a smile.
Zodiac years in Chinese: the 2026 Fire Horse
2026 is the year of the Fire Horse (火马, huǒ mǎ), from 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027. Horse years are associated with energy, independence and movement; fire makes them brighter and more restless. The last Fire Horse year was 1966. On 6 February 2027 the Fire Goat (火羊) takes over. Read more about the festival itself in my article on Chinese New Year.
| Year | Animal | Element | Starts on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dragon 龙 | Wood 木 | 10 February 2024 |
| 2025 | Snake 蛇 | Wood 木 | 29 January 2025 |
| 2026 | Horse 马 | Fire 火 | 17 February 2026 |
| 2027 | Goat 羊 | Fire 火 | 6 February 2027 |
| 2028 | Monkey 猴 | Earth 土 | 26 January 2028 |
| 2029 | Rooster 鸡 | Earth 土 | 13 February 2029 |
| 2030 | Dog 狗 | Metal 金 | 3 February 2030 |
The five elements
Each year also has an element: metal, water, wood, fire or earth. They follow the last digit of the Chinese year, two years per element, and each year is also yin (odd years) or yang (even years). Twelve animals times five elements gives a cycle of 60 years: a Fire Horse comes back only every 60 years, and in China turning 60 (花甲) is a special birthday.
| ▶ | Element | Pinyin | English | Years ending in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 金 | jīn | Metal | 0 and 1 | |
| 水 | shuǐ | Water | 2 and 3 | |
| 木 | mù | Wood | 4 and 5 | |
| 火 | huǒ | Fire | 6 and 7 | |
| 土 | tǔ | Earth | 8 and 9 |
So 1984 is a Wood Rat, 1990 a Metal Horse, 2000 a Metal Dragon and 2012 a Water Dragon.
Your hour animal
Chinese astrology also gives an animal to each two-hour period of the day (时辰, shíchen), sometimes compared to a Western ascendant. Add your time of birth to the calculator to see yours.
| ▶ | Animal | Pinyin | English | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鼠 | shǔ | Rat | 23–01 | |
| 牛 | niú | Ox | 01–03 | |
| 虎 | hǔ | Tiger | 03–05 | |
| 兔 | tù | Rabbit | 05–07 | |
| 龙 | lóng | Dragon | 07–09 | |
| 蛇 | shé | Snake | 09–11 | |
| 马 | mǎ | Horse | 11–13 | |
| 羊 | yáng | Goat | 13–15 | |
| 猴 | hóu | Monkey | 15–17 | |
| 鸡 | jī | Rooster | 17–19 | |
| 狗 | gǒu | Dog | 19–21 | |
| 猪 | zhū | Pig | 21–23 |
Chinese zodiac compatibility
Traditionally, the animals form four “triangles of affinity” that get along well, and six pairs that clash, the animals opposite each other on the wheel.
- Best matches: Rat, Dragon and Monkey · Ox, Snake and Rooster · Tiger, Horse and Dog · Rabbit, Goat and Pig.
- Traditional clashes: Rat and Horse · Ox and Goat · Tiger and Monkey · Rabbit and Rooster · Dragon and Dog · Snake and Pig.
Older generations sometimes still check the animals of a couple before a wedding; most young people treat it as a fun conversation topic.
Learn the zodiac in Chinese
The zodiac is a great first conversation in Chinese, because everyone has an animal:
- 你属什么？Nǐ shǔ shénme? What’s your animal?
- 我属马。Wǒ shǔ mǎ. I’m a Horse.
- 今年是马年。Jīnnián shì mǎ nián. This year is the year of the Horse.
- 马年快乐！Mǎ nián kuàilè! Happy year of the Horse!
The animals also live on in everyday Chinese. 马马虎虎 (mǎma hūhū, literally “horse horse tiger tiger”) means “so-so”. 很牛 (hěn niú, “very ox”) is slang for “awesome”. And parents who 望子成龙 “hope their child becomes a dragon” want them to succeed. Many of the animal characters are pictographs, which makes them a good start for learning Chinese characters.
Frequently asked questions
What is my Chinese zodiac animal?
Find your birth year in the list of animals, or use the calculator with your full birth date. If you were born in January or early February, check the date of Chinese New Year in your birth year: before that date you belong to the previous year's animal.
What is the Chinese zodiac animal for 2026?
2026 is the year of the Fire Horse (火马, huǒ mǎ). It started on 17 February 2026 and lasts until 5 February 2027. On 6 February 2027 the year of the Fire Goat begins.
What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in order?
Rat 鼠, Ox 牛, Tiger 虎, Rabbit 兔, Dragon 龙, Snake 蛇, Horse 马, Goat 羊, Monkey 猴, Rooster 鸡, Dog 狗 and Pig 猪. Legend says this is the order in which they arrived at the Jade Emperor's great race.
How do I say my zodiac animal in Chinese?
Use 属 (shǔ, "to belong to"): 我属马 (wǒ shǔ mǎ) means "I am a Horse". To ask someone, say 你属什么？ (nǐ shǔ shénme?). It is a polite, indirect way of asking someone's age.
Learn with Zoey
One-to-one or in a small group, online or in Amsterdam by arrangement. Tell Zoey what you want to achieve and she will suggest a plan.
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About the author
Zoey (Ziqiao Zang, 臧子乔) has taught Chinese as a foreign language since 2011 and in the Netherlands since 2016. She holds a Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages from Zhejiang Normal University and set up and ran an official HSK online exam centre with more than 250 candidates.