Chinese Zodiac Calculator by Birth Year
The Chinese zodiac assigns one of twelve animals plus an element (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) to each lunar year. People born in January or February may belong to the previous year's animal.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you find your Chinese zodiac sign?
Your sign comes from your birth year placed into a 12-animal cycle: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig. Each year matches one animal in that fixed order.
When is Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year shifts each year; it begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice. The date usually lands somewhere between late January and mid February.
Born in January or February, which Chinese zodiac applies?
If you were born before Chinese New Year that year, your sign is the previous year's animal; if after, it is the current year's animal. The calculator resolves this shifting date for you.
How does Chinese zodiac compatibility work?
Tradition groups the animals into four trines: rat-dragon-monkey, ox-snake-rooster, tiger-horse-dog, rabbit-goat-pig. Signs within a trine harmonize, while the animal directly opposite often clashes.
What does the Chinese zodiac element mean?
Each year is paired with one of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, water. The element shapes the tone of a sign; together with the animal it forms a 60-year cycle that never repeats exactly.
What does yin and yang mean in the zodiac?
Yin and yang are two complementary poles; one is active and outward, the other quiet and inward. Every zodiac year carries one polarity, adding depth to how a sign is read.
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