Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Find your Chinese zodiac animal and element from any birth year. Learn your personality traits, lucky numbers, compatible signs and more.
Note: if you were born in January or early February, you may belong to the previous year's animal (the Chinese New Year falls between Jan 21 – Feb 20).
The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals
| Animal | Recent Years | Element (2020s) | Key Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐀 Rat | 2008, 2020, 2032 | Metal / Water | Quick-witted, resourceful |
| 🐂 Ox | 2009, 2021, 2033 | Metal / Water | Diligent, dependable |
| 🐯 Tiger | 2010, 2022, 2034 | Water / Wood | Brave, confident |
| 🐰 Rabbit | 2011, 2023, 2035 | Water / Wood | Gentle, elegant |
| 🐉 Dragon | 2012, 2024, 2036 | Wood / Fire | Vigorous, charismatic |
| 🐍 Snake | 2013, 2025, 2037 | Wood / Fire | Wise, intuitive |
| 🐴 Horse | 2014, 2026, 2038 | Fire / Earth | Animated, energetic |
| 🐑 Goat | 2015, 2027, 2039 | Fire / Earth | Calm, gentle |
| 🐒 Monkey | 2016, 2028, 2040 | Earth / Metal | Clever, curious |
| 🐓 Rooster | 2017, 2029, 2041 | Earth / Metal | Observant, hardworking |
| 🐕 Dog | 2018, 2030, 2042 | Metal / Water | Loyal, honest |
| 🐷 Pig | 2019, 2031, 2043 | Metal / Water | Compassionate, generous |
The Five Elements
Each animal year is also paired with one of five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — on a 10-year cycle (each element appears for two consecutive years). This gives a 60-year grand cycle. For example, 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon.
Chinese New Year and Sign Boundaries
Unlike the Western zodiac which follows calendar months, the Chinese zodiac year starts on Chinese New Year — a date that falls between January 21 and February 20 each year, based on the lunisolar calendar. This means people born in January or early February may belong to the previous year's animal sign, not the Western calendar year's sign. For example, someone born on January 25, 2024 before Chinese New Year (which fell on February 10, 2024) is a Water Rabbit (2023), not a Wood Dragon (2024). This tool accounts for the exact Chinese New Year date for each year.
Compatibility Between Signs
| Sign | Best Matches | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | Dragon, Monkey | Horse |
| Ox | Snake, Rooster | Goat |
| Tiger | Horse, Dog | Monkey |
| Rabbit | Goat, Pig | Rooster |
| Dragon | Rat, Monkey | Dog |
| Snake | Ox, Rooster | Pig |