Chinese zodiac · 生肖
The Chinese zodiac: 12 animal signs and how the cycle works
Chinese astrology runs on a twelve-year cycle. Each year is ruled by one of twelve animals — the 生肖 (shēng xiào) — and the animal of your birth year is said to shape your character, your luck, and who you get along with.
This is the whole system in one place: what the cycle is, how the five elements and yin & yang overlay it, how to find your own sign, and a page for every animal.
This year
2026 is the Year of the Horse
The Horse's fixed element is Fire, and it's a Yang sign. Next up is the Year of the Goat in 2027.
The system
How the 12-year cycle works
Three ideas stack on top of each other: the twelve animals, the five elements, and yin & yang. Together they give every year — and every person — a distinct character.
Twelve animals
One animal rules each year, in a fixed order — Rat, Ox, Tiger, and so on — repeating every twelve years. The animal of your birth year is your sign, or 属相 (shǔ xiàng).
Five elements · 五行
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water (wǔ xíng) cycle through the years too. Each animal has one fixed element, and the element of your actual birth year colours it further — a Fire Horse differs from a Water Horse.
Yin & yang · 阴阳
The signs alternate polarity — the Rat is yang (yáng), the Ox is yin (yīn), and so on down the cycle. It sets the tempo of a sign: outward and active, or inward and receptive.
Find your sign
What is my Chinese zodiac sign?
Find your birth year in the row for each animal. Born in January or February? See the note below — the zodiac year doesn't start on January 1.
| Sign | Element | Birth years |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | Water | 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032 |
| Ox | Earth | 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033 |
| Tiger | Wood | 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 |
| Rabbit | Wood | 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035 |
| Dragon | Earth | 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036 |
| Snake | Fire | 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 |
| Horse | Fire | 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038 |
| Goat | Earth | 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039 |
| Monkey | Metal | 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040 |
| Rooster | Metal | 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041 |
| Dog | Earth | 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042 |
| Pig | Water | 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043 |
The twelve
Every sign, one page each
Personality, strengths and weaknesses, lucky numbers and colours, best and worst matches, and the years each animal falls on.
Rat
shǔWater · Yang · born 2008, 2020, …
quick-witted, resourceful, versatile
Year of the Rat
Ox
niúEarth · Yin · born 2009, 2021, …
diligent, dependable, patient
Year of the Ox
Tiger
hǔWood · Yang · born 2010, 2022, …
brave, confident, competitive
Year of the Tiger
Rabbit
tùWood · Yin · born 2011, 2023, …
gentle, elegant, kind
Year of the Rabbit
Dragon
lóngEarth · Yang · born 2012, 2024, …
confident, ambitious, charismatic
Year of the Dragon
Snake
shéFire · Yin · born 2013, 2025, …
wise, intuitive, graceful
Year of the Snake
Horse
mǎFire · Yang · born 2014, 2026, …
energetic, independent, warm-hearted
Year of the Horse
Goat
yángEarth · Yin · born 2015, 2027, …
gentle, creative, compassionate
Year of the Goat
Monkey
hóuMetal · Yang · born 2016, 2028, …
clever, curious, playful
Year of the Monkey
Rooster
jīMetal · Yin · born 2017, 2029, …
observant, hardworking, confident
Year of the Rooster
Dog
gǒuEarth · Yang · born 2018, 2030, …
loyal, honest, friendly
Year of the Dog
Pig
zhūWater · Yin · born 2019, 2031, …
generous, sincere, easygoing
Year of the PigCompatibility
Which signs get along
Traditional compatibility turns on two patterns: the four harmony triangles (三合), and the six clashing pairs (六冲) of signs sitting directly opposite each other.
The Doers
A harmony triangle (三合) — spaced four apart, these three bring out the best in each other.
The Thinkers
A harmony triangle (三合) — spaced four apart, these three bring out the best in each other.
The Champions
A harmony triangle (三合) — spaced four apart, these three bring out the best in each other.
FAQ
Questions people ask
- What are the 12 Chinese zodiac signs?
- In order, the twelve signs are the 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). One animal rules each year, and the sequence repeats every twelve years.
- How do I find my Chinese zodiac sign?
- Your sign is set by your birth year: find the year in the table above and read off its animal. The one catch is the Chinese New Year boundary — the zodiac year begins in late January or February, so if you were born in January or early February your sign is the previous animal, not the calendar-year one.
- What's the difference between the Chinese and Western zodiac?
- The Western zodiac has twelve signs tied to the month of your birth, each covering about 30 days. The Chinese zodiac has twelve animal signs tied to your birth year, each covering a whole year, and layers on the five elements (五行) and yin/yang rather than the four classical elements.
- What is the luckiest Chinese zodiac sign?
- The Dragon (龙) is traditionally considered the most auspicious — the only mythical animal in the cycle, associated with power, success, and good fortune, which is why Dragon years often see a bump in births. That said, no sign is unlucky; each simply carries its own strengths.