How to use the Chinese zodiac calculator
Enter the full date of birth. The result shows the sign — element plus animal, such as Metal Horse — along with yin or yang, the traditional stem-branch name of the year, when that Chinese year began and ended, other years of the same animal and the traditional compatibility pairings.
Why the full birth date matters
A zodiac year doesn't start on January 1. It starts at Chinese New Year, the first day of the first lunar month, which falls between January 21 and February 20. Someone born on January 20, 1990 is a Snake, not a Horse, because the Year of the Horse began on January 27, 1990. A baby born on February 9, 2024 is a Water Rabbit: the Wood Dragon year began on February 10, 2024.
Charts that list signs by year number alone get these birthdays wrong.
The 12 animals
The animals always follow the same order. Here are the years each one began between 1960 and 2031 — for January and February birthdays, check the exact date.
| Animal | Chinese years beginning in |
|---|---|
| Rat | 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 |
| Ox | 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 |
| Tiger | 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 |
| Rabbit | 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 |
| Dragon | 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 |
| Snake | 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 |
| Horse | 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 |
| Goat | 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 |
| Monkey | 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 |
| Rooster | 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 |
| Dog | 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 |
| Pig | 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 |
The five elements and yin and yang
Each year also has a heavenly stem, which carries one of five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water — in a yang or yin form. The element follows the last digit of the year in which the Chinese year began:
| Last digit | Element | Yin or yang |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Wood | Yang |
| 5 | Wood | Yin |
| 6 | Fire | Yang |
| 7 | Fire | Yin |
| 8 | Earth | Yang |
| 9 | Earth | Yin |
| 0 | Metal | Yang |
| 1 | Metal | Yin |
| 2 | Water | Yang |
| 3 | Water | Yin |
Ten stems paired with twelve animals (earthly branches) repeat only every 60 years, which is why the 60th birthday is traditionally celebrated as completing a full cycle. The current cycle began with a Wood Rat (甲子, Jia-zi) year on February 2, 1984; the next one starts on January 30, 2044.
Upcoming Chinese New Year dates
| Year | Chinese New Year | Sign |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Feb 17, 2026 | Fire Horse |
| 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 | Fire Goat |
| 2028 | Jan 26, 2028 | Earth Monkey |
| 2029 | Feb 13, 2029 | Earth Rooster |
| 2030 | Feb 3, 2030 | Metal Dog |
| 2031 | Jan 23, 2031 | Metal Pig |
| 2032 | Feb 11, 2032 | Water Rat |
| 2033 | Jan 31, 2033 | Water Ox |
| 2034 | Feb 19, 2034 | Wood Tiger |
| 2035 | Feb 8, 2035 | Wood Rabbit |
Where the dates come from
Our New Year dates for 1901–2100 come from the Hong Kong Observatory's Gregorian–Lunar calendar conversion tables. We checked every year from 1924 to 2043 against the table in Wikipedia's Chinese zodiac article and every year from 1901 to 2099 against the independent open-source lunardate library; there were no differences. We deliberately don't use the Chinese calendar built into web browsers: compared with the Observatory, it puts New Year a day off in 1954, 2027 and 2030.
Compatibility is tradition, not science
Folk tradition groups the animals into four friendly “trines” — Rat, Dragon, Monkey; Ox, Snake, Rooster; Tiger, Horse, Dog; Rabbit, Goat, Pig — and six “secret friend” pairs, and treats animals six years apart as a clash. These pairings are part of Chinese culture and fun to compare, but there is no scientific evidence that birth years predict personality or relationships. Customs also vary: Vietnam's zodiac has the Cat in place of the Rabbit.
Frequently asked questions
I was born in January or February. What is my sign?
It depends on whether you were born before or after that year’s Chinese New Year, which moves between January 21 and February 20. Enter your full birth date above and the calculator checks it against the exact date.
How do I find my element?
Look at the last digit of the year your Chinese year began: 4 or 5 is Wood, 6 or 7 Fire, 8 or 9 Earth, 0 or 1 Metal, 2 or 3 Water. Even years are yang and odd years are yin.
Is 2026 the Year of the Horse?
Yes — a Fire Horse year, from February 17, 2026 through February 5, 2027. The Fire Goat year follows.
Why do some sites give a different animal for early February birthdays?
Some astrology systems, including Four Pillars (BaZi), start the year at Lichun, the solar term around February 4, rather than at Chinese New Year. This calculator uses Chinese New Year, the convention behind the familiar zodiac years.
Does Chinese zodiac compatibility really work?
There is no scientific evidence for it. Treat the pairings as a cultural tradition and a conversation starter, not as advice for relationships or business.
Last updated: October 8, 2026