Chinese Zodiac

The Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao (生肖), is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their ascribed attributes, based on the lunar calendar. In order, the zodiac animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, marks the transition from one animal to the next—2024 is the year of the Dragon, which began on February 10th, 2024, and ends on February 24th, 2024. January 29th, 2025 (Chinese New Year) will signal the start of the year of the Snake.

What’s Your Zodiac Sign?

Your birth year determines your Chinese zodiac sign, but it can get tricky, as the lunar calendar varies from the solar, or Gregorian, calendar.

Because the dates of Chinese New Year change every year, individuals born in January or February will need to pay special attention to their birth date in addition to their birth year.

Chinese Zodiac Calculator

If you don’t know your Chinese zodiac use our calculator below to quickly find your animal sign by entering your birthday, and be sure to checkout your 2025 horoscope to see what fortune the new year holds.

Chinese zodiac calculator

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Pig

2031

Rat

2020

Ox

2021

Curious, resourceful, and quick-witted, Rat’s natural charm opens doors to opportunity. Your dynamic personality... more

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Chinese Zodiac Years

Since the Chinese zodiac cycle repeats every 12 years, it’s easy to figure out if it’s your year—just check if your age is a multiple of 12! Listed below are the 12 zodiac animals in order with accompanying years:

Read more: Every Chinese zodiac year from 1900–2031 (full chart and by zodiac sign)

Ben Ming Nian (Zodiac Birth Year)

Maybe you think your zodiac year, or ben ming nian (本命年), will be lucky. It’s your year after all. However, it’s the total opposite.

It’s seen as a hurdle you have jump over. The way to protect yourself from evil spirits and bad fortune is to wear red underwear every day for the entire year. Even in modern times, it’s still treated as a real concern.

In some places, married men even have to be accompanied by their wives when they go out at night during their year!

Origins of the Chinese Zodiac

It is generally believed the origins of the Chinese zodiac are rooted in zoolatry, or animal worship, with the system dating back to the Qin dynasty, more than 2,000 years ago.

Legend has it that the Jade Emperor summoned all the animals to his palace in a “Great Race” (or possibly for a banquet), and the order in which they arrived determined the animal’s place in the zodiac.

With such a rich past, it’s little wonder the Chinese zodiac remains so popular throughout China and much of Asia. An integral part of everyday life, it’s used to determine your fortune for the year, marriage compatibility, career path, best times to have a baby, and so much more.

The Science Behind the Chinese Zodiac

How do Chinese astrologers know each zodiac’s personality, fortune and compatibility with others?

Below is some technical information you might be interested in.

Dì Zhī (地支), or Earthly Branches, were the original terms used for the years. These branches are also assigned to the hours of the day, based on solar time.

The animals were later added as mnemonics and categorized as either yīn (阴) or yáng (阳).

Ten Celestial Stems (天干 / tiān gān) pair with the Earthly Branches for a 60 year calendrical cycle. Then add in an element. These cycle through, but each zodiac also has a fixed element. This fixed element is what determines which sign you’re compatible with.

Twelve Earthly Branches: zi (子), chǒu (丑), yín (寅), mǎo (卯), chén (辰), sì (巳), wǔ (午), wèi (未), shēn (申), yǒu (酉), xū (戌), hài (亥).

Ten Celestial Stems: jiǎ (甲), yǐ (乙), bǐng (丙), ding (丁), wù (戊), jǐ (己), gēng (庚), xīn (辛), rén (壬), guǐ (癸).

Five elements: water (水 / shuǐ), wood (木 / mù), fire (火 / huǒ), earth (土 / tǔ), metal (金 / jīn).

A calendar of recent years with everything explained above would look like this:

Compatibility

There are six groups (六合 / liù hé) of most compatible pairs. They fit into each other like jigsaw pieces. These are the ones who support you in the background.

Four groups of trios (三合 / sān hé) are the next most compatible signs. Working in a team, they complement your skills.

Fortune and Personality of the 12 Zodiac Animals

As mentioned before, the Earthly Branches are also assigned to hours of the day. The animals, depending on what they did, became associated with that certain time. This is another explanation for the ordering of the animals. The following list include each zodiac’s time of day, culture, personality and compatibility.

Rat (鼠 / Shǔ)

People born in the year of the Rat like saving and collecting. They never have hard times financially and live organized lives. If you receive a valuable gift from a Rat, know that they think highly of you because they don't usually like opening their wallet for others. Rats don’t look for praise and recognition. They are very sensitive and know when there is trouble. When they do take risks, they’re usually successful.

• Science Rats are Yang. Their earthly branch is Zi.

• Hours 23:00–01:00. Rats are at the height of their activity at this time. People associate rats with the Zi hour.

• Folklore Rats steal food, which can be interpreted as the household being wealthy and having surpluses. Because of their fast reproduction rate, some also pray to rats for children.

• Compatibility Best match: Ox; Best group: Monkey, Dragon; Incompatible: Horse

Ox (牛 / Niu)

People born in the year of the Ox are hard workers and have a strong sense of responsibility. Even if they run into difficulty during work, they’ll persevere. They aren’t very romantic, but are patient and would never force themselves onto someone who doesn’t like them. They are usually quiet and keep their emotions bottled up inside. It’s hard for others to understand them. When they do lose their temper, it’s explosive and can drive others away.

• Science Oxen are Yin. Their earthly branch is Chǒu.

• Hours 01:00–03:00. This is when farmers would wake up to feed their oxen.

• Folklore Whipping spring cattle (打春—dǎ chūn) was a ritual performed to begin a new year of hard work and good harvests. The oxens’ stomachs would be filled with five types of grains and scattered after the whipping to represent the sowing and harvest.

• Compatibility Best match: Rat; Best group: Snake, Rooster; Incompatible: Goat

Tiger (虎 / Hǔ)

People born in the year of the Tiger are independent and have high self-esteem. They enjoy being the leader and protector of average people. They love justice and never back down in an argument. Recklessness is their biggest weakness, causing them to fail. However, they never truly fail. Tigers always find a way to stand back up and succeed in the end.

• Science Tigers are Yang. Their earthly branch is Yín.

• Hours 03:00–05:00. Tigers are the most dangerous at night. Farmers would always be able to hear their frightening roars during this hour.

• Folklore Tigers are the kings of all beasts. People believe that they are the guardians of children. In the past, infants were washed with water boiled with tiger bones to prevent diseases. Children also wear hats and shoes with tiger designs.

• Compatibility Best match: Pig; Best group: Horse, Dog; Incompatible: Monkey

Rabbit (兔 / Tù)

People born in the year of the Rabbit are gentle, quiet and polite. They are patient, intelligent and chic. Their sense of responsibility and attention to detail lead to great career success. They take love seriously as well and never fall for someone easily. If they find the right person, they’ll love them to the end of the world and back.

• Science Rabbits are Yin. Their earthly branch is Mǎo.

• Hours 05:00–07:00. At daybreak, rabbits would come out of their homes to feed on the dew.

• Folklore The rabbit represents the moon. Rather than the man in the moon, the ancient Chinese believed that there was a rabbit in the moon.

• Compatibility Best match: Dog; Best group: Pig, Goat; Incompatible: Rooster

Dragon (龙 / Lóng)

People born in the year of the Dragon have hearts full of adventure and romance. It’s hard for people to understand a Dragon’s mysterious personality. At the same time, they are indifferent to things the average person worries about. They may seem lazy, but once they decide to do something, they’ll be more ambitious and vigorous than anyone else.

• Science Dragons are Yang. Their earthly branch is Chén.

• Hours 07:00–09:00. This is the most common time for fog to appear. According to folklore, dragons ride the fog to come down to Earth.

• Folklore Dragons are the most revered creature in Chinese culture. They represent royalty. People often believed that emperors were dragon’s reincarnated. Paired with the phoenix, dragons also symbolize a happy marriage and harmony between yin and yang.

• Compatibility Best match: Rooster; Best group: Monkey, Rat; Incompatible: Dog

Snake (蛇 / Shé)

People born in the year of the Snake are idealists. On the outside, they may seem cold, but deep inside they are warm and enthusiastic. Their desire for exclusive ownership is fierce. It irks them if they can’t fully understand someone. Snakes are devoted and determined, but their worst enemy is laziness.

• Science Snakes are Yin. Their earthly branch is Sì.

• Hours 09:00–11:00. After the fog has dissipated, snakes would come out to bask in the sun. When creating the character for sì (巳), it was written to look like a snake.

• Folklore Snakes usually have a negative diction and are symbols of witchcraft. However, Nǚ Wā (女娲), the creator of the world in Chinese mythology, had a human’s head and a snake’s body.

• Compatibility Best match: Monkey; Best group: Rooster, Ox; Incompatible: Pig

Horse (马 / Mǎ)

People born in the year of the Horse are never ones to surrender. They are always positive and energetic, pushing themselves forward. Their biggest desire is to have the freedom to do what they like and be able to express themselves. However, they also have various negative traits. Horses are bad at keeping secrets and lose interest quickly.

• Science Horses are Yang. Their earthly branch is Wǔ.

• Hours 11:00–13:00. When the sun is at its brightest moment, horses would gallop and prance joyfully in the fields.

• Folklore As the head of the six domestic animals, horses are crucial in transportation and war. They represent speed and freedom. Many Northern ethnicities, such as the Mongolians and Manchurians, revere and worship the horse.

• Compatibility Best match: Goat; Best group: Tiger, Dog; Incompatible: Rat

Goat (羊 / Yang)

People born in the year of the Goat have a pure and kind heart. They’d rather suffer silently than argue and ruin someone else’s mood. However, even in silence, they still hold onto their own opinion. Regarding their passions, they will do anything possible to fulfill their wishes. Though kind, Goats have tricks up their sleeves as well. They are skilled at using soft power, able to patiently and politely persuade others into their favor.

• Science Goats are Yin. Their earthly branch is Wèi.

• Hours 13:00–15:00. At this time, the dew on the grass would be dried by the sun. This is the best hour to let the goats and sheep out.

• Folklore Xiè Zhì (獬豸) is a mythological one-horned goat. It was the assistant of Gāo Yáo (皋陶), god of Justice. The Goat is also the symbol of filial piety.

• Compatibility Best match: Horse; Best group: Pig, Rabbit; Incompatible: Ox

Monkey (猴 / Hóu)

People born in the year of the Monkey do things based on interest. If it’s something they don’t quite care for, they’ll do the work sloppily. If it's something they’re interested in, they’ll put their entire heart into it and work until they succeed. They live a long life full of energy and curiosity. Monkeys also value relationships. However, spoiling children may be their weakness.

• Science Monkeys are Yang. Their earthly branch is Shēn.

• Hours 15:00–17:00. The weather is much cooler with the sun setting and the monkeys would play around in the forest.

• Folklore There are multiple legends about the Monkey as humans’ ancestor. Monkeys also like eating peaches. Peaches are symbols of longevity and, with time, monkeys also became associated with long life.

• Compatibility Best match: Snake; Best group: Rat, Dragon; Incompatible: Tiger

Rooster (鸡 / Jī)

People born in the year of the Rooster are able to sense what another person is thinking or feeling. They have quick reactions and high EQs. They make great friends, although some are cunning. Roosters are creative and talented in the arts, although few find a career in that field. They have foresight and plan everything carefully.

• Science Roosters are Yin. Their earthly branch is Yǒu.

• Hours 17:00–19:00. The character for yǒu (酉) looks similar to wine (酒—jiǔ), and evening is the time for dinner and wine. It is also time to collect the roosters and hens and put them back in their nests.

• Folklore According to legends, roosters are able to protect against evil spirits. In ancient times, sworn brothers must swear to the heavens, then drip rooster blood into wine and drink it.

• Compatibility Best match: Dragon; Best group: Snake, Ox; Incompatible: Rabbit

Dog (狗 / Gǒu)

People born in the year of the Dog are conservative and full of justice. Because of their loyalty, Dogs are valued in the workplace. They rarely break rules, except for people important to them. In life, they only wish to live quietly with their family.

• Science Dogs are Yang. Their earthly branch is Xū.

• Hours 19:00–21:00. Before sleeping, the people must patrol around for a safety check. Trailing behind them is the dog, humanity’s little helper.

• Folklore In the Qin and Han dynasty, people worshipped the Stone Dog. In the Guangdong province, it is still popular to name dogs Wàng Cái (旺财). It means “prosperous wealth” and comes from dogs’ barking sounds (旺旺—wàng wàng).

• Compatibility Best match: Rabbit; Best group: Tiger, Horse; Incompatible: Dragon

Pig (猪 / Zhū)

People born in the year of the Pig think logically and are able to fix whatever problem they’re in. They aren’t good communicators, but they’re kind and able to provide for the family. Most of them are wealthy. Their only obvious fault is that they lose their temper easily.

• Science Pigs are Yin. Their earthly branch is Hài.

• Hours 21:00–23:00. At night, the pig can be heard rustling around. In order to fatten it up, the farmer must feed the pig before calling it a day.

• Folklore Pigs are symbols of wealth. Their chubby faces and big ears are signs of fortune as well.

• Compatibility Best match: Tiger; Best group: Rabbit, Goat; Incompatible: Snake