CellariusHoroscope
EN-USEnglish (US)

Language

Chinese zodiac

Chinese zodiac calculator: what's my Chinese zodiac sign?

Enter your birth date to find your Chinese zodiac animal and element. We work out Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) from the real new moon in Beijing time, so a birthday in January or February lands in the right year.

Your birth date

Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing is sent or stored.

How the Chinese year is counted

The Chinese calendar follows both the Moon and the Sun. Each month begins on the day of a new moon, and the year begins with the new moon that opens the first month: Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year. It falls between January 21 and February 20. The animal changes on that day, not on January 1.

The twelve animals belong to the twelve Earthly Branches. Together with ten Heavenly Stems, which carry the five elements in yin and yang form, they make a cycle of 60 years. Each element covers two years in a row, first yang, then yin.

Animals of the zodiac appear in Chinese tombs as early as the sixth century, as in this set of figures.

Twelve gray earthenware tomb figures from the 6th century, seated figures with animal heads standing in a row
Mortuary Figures of the Zodiac Signs, 500s (Northern Wei dynasty, 386–534 CE). Gray earthenware with traces of slip. Cleveland Museum of Art, The Norweb Collection. View at the museum · Public Domain (CC0, open access)

The five elements

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water each cover two years in a row, yang first, then yin. In Chinese tradition the elements also relate to each other in two cycles: in one each element gives rise to the next, in the other each overcomes another.

Generating cycle Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood

Overcoming cycle Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal → Wood

Why January and February birthdays go wrong

Many tables list one animal per calendar year. That works for most birthdays, but not for people born before Chinese New Year, who still belong to the previous animal. Someone born on January 15, 1990 belongs to the Year of the Snake, not the Year of the Horse, because the Year of the Horse began on January 27, 1990.

Another common mix-up is to start the year on a fixed date such as February 4 (Lìchūn, the Beginning of Spring). That is the year used in BaZi astrology, not the animal year used in popular astrology. We show both rules and say which one we used.

How we calculate

We compute the real new moons and the position of the Sun with Astronomy Engine. Chinese New Year is the new moon that opens month 1, counted on the calendar day in Beijing time (UTC+8). Leap months and solar terms follow the rules of the Chinese calendar.

We checked the calculation against the Hong Kong Observatory's Gregorian-Lunar conversion tables for 1901 to 2100. All dates agree except a handful of moments that fall within minutes of midnight in Beijing, where sources can differ by a day; the calculator points those out. It covers January 31, 1900 to December 31, 2100.

The twelve animals

The descriptions summarize traditional associations from Chinese folk tradition. They are not science, and tellings differ from source to source.

Twelve small jade figures of the Chinese zodiac animals: seated figures with animal heads, in three rows
Twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, 18th–19th century. Jade (nephrite). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902. View at the museum · Public Domain (CC0, open access)

  • 鼠 Rat

    shǔ

    In tradition the Rat stands for cleverness, charm and thrift. It is the first of the twelve animals; a well-known folk tale says it won that place by riding on the Ox's back.

    Birth years: Year of the Rat

    • January 28, 1960 – February 14, 1961 · Metal 庚子
    • February 15, 1972 – February 2, 1973 · Water 壬子
    • February 2, 1984 – February 19, 1985 · Wood 甲子
    • February 19, 1996 – February 6, 1997 · Fire 丙子
    • February 7, 2008 – January 25, 2009 · Earth 戊子
    • January 25, 2020 – February 11, 2021 · Metal 庚子

  • 牛 Ox

    niú

    The Ox is associated with diligence, patience and reliability.

    Birth years: Year of the Ox

    • February 15, 1961 – February 4, 1962 · Metal 辛丑
    • February 3, 1973 – January 22, 1974 · Water 癸丑
    • February 20, 1985 – February 8, 1986 · Wood 乙丑
    • February 7, 1997 – January 27, 1998 · Fire 丁丑
    • January 26, 2009 – February 13, 2010 · Earth 己丑
    • February 12, 2021 – January 31, 2022 · Metal 辛丑

  • 虎 Tiger

    hǔ

    The Tiger is associated with courage, strength and a bold spirit.

    Birth years: Year of the Tiger

    • February 5, 1962 – January 24, 1963 · Water 壬寅
    • January 23, 1974 – February 10, 1975 · Wood 甲寅
    • February 9, 1986 – January 28, 1987 · Fire 丙寅
    • January 28, 1998 – February 15, 1999 · Earth 戊寅
    • February 14, 2010 – February 2, 2011 · Metal 庚寅
    • February 1, 2022 – January 21, 2023 · Water 壬寅

  • 兔 Rabbit (Hare)

    tù

    The Rabbit is associated with gentleness, tact and a love of peace. In Vietnam the Cat takes its place.

    Birth years: Year of the Rabbit

    • January 25, 1963 – February 12, 1964 · Water 癸卯
    • February 11, 1975 – January 30, 1976 · Wood 乙卯
    • January 29, 1987 – February 16, 1988 · Fire 丁卯
    • February 16, 1999 – February 4, 2000 · Earth 己卯
    • February 3, 2011 – January 22, 2012 · Metal 辛卯
    • January 22, 2023 – February 9, 2024 · Water 癸卯

  • 龍 龙 Dragon

    lóng

    The Dragon stands for power, good fortune and energy. It is the only mythical animal of the twelve.

    Birth years: Year of the Dragon

    • February 13, 1964 – February 1, 1965 · Wood 甲辰
    • January 31, 1976 – February 17, 1977 · Fire 丙辰
    • February 17, 1988 – February 5, 1989 · Earth 戊辰
    • February 5, 2000 – January 23, 2001 · Metal 庚辰
    • January 23, 2012 – February 9, 2013 · Water 壬辰
    • February 10, 2024 – January 28, 2025 · Wood 甲辰

  • 蛇 Snake

    shé

    The Snake is associated with wisdom, intuition and reserve.

    Birth years: Year of the Snake

    • February 2, 1965 – January 20, 1966 · Wood 乙巳
    • February 18, 1977 – February 6, 1978 · Fire 丁巳
    • February 6, 1989 – January 26, 1990 · Earth 己巳
    • January 24, 2001 – February 11, 2002 · Metal 辛巳
    • February 10, 2013 – January 30, 2014 · Water 癸巳
    • January 29, 2025 – February 16, 2026 · Wood 乙巳

  • 馬 马 Horse

    mǎ

    The Horse is associated with freedom, energy and independence.

    Birth years: Year of the Horse

    • January 21, 1966 – February 8, 1967 · Fire 丙午
    • February 7, 1978 – January 27, 1979 · Earth 戊午
    • January 27, 1990 – February 14, 1991 · Metal 庚午
    • February 12, 2002 – January 31, 2003 · Water 壬午
    • January 31, 2014 – February 18, 2015 · Wood 甲午
    • February 17, 2026 – February 5, 2027 · Fire 丙午

  • 羊 Goat (Sheep, Ram)

    yáng

    The Goat (also called Sheep or Ram) is associated with gentleness, creativity and a caring nature.

    Birth years: Year of the Goat

    • February 9, 1967 – January 29, 1968 · Fire 丁未
    • January 28, 1979 – February 15, 1980 · Earth 己未
    • February 15, 1991 – February 3, 1992 · Metal 辛未
    • February 1, 2003 – January 21, 2004 · Water 癸未
    • February 19, 2015 – February 7, 2016 · Wood 乙未
    • February 6, 2027 – January 25, 2028 · Fire 丁未

  • 猴 Monkey

    hóu

    The Monkey is associated with wit, curiosity and inventiveness.

    Birth years: Year of the Monkey

    • January 30, 1968 – February 16, 1969 · Earth 戊申
    • February 16, 1980 – February 4, 1981 · Metal 庚申
    • February 4, 1992 – January 22, 1993 · Water 壬申
    • January 22, 2004 – February 8, 2005 · Wood 甲申
    • February 8, 2016 – January 27, 2017 · Fire 丙申
    • January 26, 2028 – February 12, 2029 · Earth 戊申

  • 雞 鸡 Rooster

    jī

    The Rooster is associated with punctuality, confidence and hard work.

    Birth years: Year of the Rooster

    • February 17, 1969 – February 5, 1970 · Earth 己酉
    • February 5, 1981 – January 24, 1982 · Metal 辛酉
    • January 23, 1993 – February 9, 1994 · Water 癸酉
    • February 9, 2005 – January 28, 2006 · Wood 乙酉
    • January 28, 2017 – February 15, 2018 · Fire 丁酉
    • February 13, 2029 – February 2, 2030 · Earth 己酉

  • 狗 Dog

    gǒu

    The Dog is associated with loyalty, honesty and a sense of justice.

    Birth years: Year of the Dog

    • February 6, 1970 – January 26, 1971 · Metal 庚戌
    • January 25, 1982 – February 12, 1983 · Water 壬戌
    • February 10, 1994 – January 30, 1995 · Wood 甲戌
    • January 29, 2006 – February 17, 2007 · Fire 丙戌
    • February 16, 2018 – February 4, 2019 · Earth 戊戌
    • February 3, 2030 – January 22, 2031 · Metal 庚戌

  • 豬 猪 Pig

    zhū

    The Pig is associated with generosity, warmth and enjoyment of life.

    Birth years: Year of the Pig

    • January 27, 1971 – February 14, 1972 · Metal 辛亥
    • February 13, 1983 – February 1, 1984 · Water 癸亥
    • January 31, 1995 – February 18, 1996 · Wood 乙亥
    • February 18, 2007 – February 6, 2008 · Fire 丁亥
    • February 5, 2019 – January 24, 2020 · Earth 己亥
    • January 23, 2031 – February 10, 2032 · Metal 辛亥

Each range runs from Chinese New Year to the day before the next one (Beijing dates).

Sources

  • Hong Kong Observatory: Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table (1901 to 2100) and the 24 Solar Terms.
  • Astronomy Engine (Don Cross), used for the new moons and the position of the Sun.
  • Names of the animals and elements: the Wikipedia articles on the Chinese zodiac in each language.