Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Type your birth date. The year begins at Lunar New Year, not January 1, and the result says which side of it you were born.
Why the date of Lunar New Year matters
The Chinese zodiac gives each year one of twelve animals, in a fixed order from Rat to Pig, and pairs it with one of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each element covers two years in a row, first yang, then yin, so the full cycle takes sixty years.
The animal year does not start on January 1. It starts at Lunar New Year, the second new moon after the winter solstice, which falls between January 21 and February 20. Someone born on January 15, 1990 still belongs to the Earth Snake year of 1989, not the Metal Horse of 1990. Many simple lists get these births wrong.
We compute the New Year dates ourselves from the Moon and Sun and check all 200 years from 1901 to 2100 against the Hong Kong Observatory tables. The element comes from the heavenly stem of that Chinese year.
The twelve animals
| Animal | Recent years | Traits in tradition |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 | Quick, resourceful, thrifty |
| Ox | 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 | Patient, strong, dependable |
| Tiger | 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 | Brave, restless, magnetic |
| Rabbit | 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 | Gentle, careful, refined |
| Dragon | 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 | Bold, lucky, ambitious |
| Snake | 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 | Wise, private, intuitive |
| Horse | 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 | Free, warm, energetic |
| Goat | 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 | Kind, artistic, easygoing |
| Monkey | 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 | Clever, playful, inventive |
| Rooster | 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 | Honest, precise, proud |
| Dog | 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 | Loyal, fair, protective |
| Pig | 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 | Generous, easy, sincere |
Each year listed starts at that year's Lunar New Year, not on January 1.
Worked examples
- Born 1990-01-15, before Lunar New Year on January 27, 1990:
Snakeof the 1989 Earth year. - Born 1990-03-05, after New Year:
Horsea yang Metal Horse. - Born 2000-02-04, one day before Lunar New Year 2000:
Rabbit - Born 1984-02-02, on Lunar New Year itself, element
Woodof the Wood Rat year.
How this is calculated
Lunar New Year dates 1901-2100 computed with astronomy-engine new moons and solar terms in China time (UTC+8, and Beijing local mean time UTC+7:45:40 before 1929): month 11 contains the December solstice, a 13-month year makes the first month without a principal solar term a leap month, and New Year is the second new moon after month 11 began (the third when the leap month falls right after month 11 or 12). Animal = (year - 4) mod 12; element and yin or yang from the heavenly stem (year - 4) mod 10.