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CHINESE ZODIAC YEARS CHART

Chinese Zodiac Years

Every year in the Chinese calendar belongs to one of 12 zodiac animals, and every year also carries one of the five elements and a yin or yang polarity. That element and polarity belong to the year, not to the animal. This chart lists every Chinese zodiac year from 1924 to 2043 with the animal, the year's element, the year's polarity, and the date each Chinese New Year begins, so you can find your sign in seconds. Just scan to your birth year, then tap the animal to read its full meaning.

Chinese Zodiac Years Chart (1924–2043)

Find your birth year in the table below. Each row shows that year's animal sign, the year's element, the year's yin or yang polarity, and the day the zodiac year begins on the Chinese New Year. The element and polarity come from the year itself, so the same animal appears with five different elements across the chart.

YearZodiac AnimalYear ElementYear PolarityChinese New Year Begins
1924RatRatWoodYangFeb 5
1925OxOxWoodYinJan 24
1926TigerTigerFireYangFeb 13
1927RabbitRabbitFireYinFeb 2
1928DragonDragonEarthYangJan 23
1929SnakeSnakeEarthYinFeb 10
1930HorseHorseMetalYangJan 30
1931GoatGoatMetalYinFeb 17
1932MonkeyMonkeyWaterYangFeb 6
1933RoosterRoosterWaterYinJan 26
1934DogDogWoodYangFeb 14
1935PigPigWoodYinFeb 4
1936RatRatFireYangJan 24
1937OxOxFireYinFeb 11
1938TigerTigerEarthYangJan 31
1939RabbitRabbitEarthYinFeb 19
1940DragonDragonMetalYangFeb 8
1941SnakeSnakeMetalYinJan 27
1942HorseHorseWaterYangFeb 15
1943GoatGoatWaterYinFeb 5
1944MonkeyMonkeyWoodYangJan 25
1945RoosterRoosterWoodYinFeb 13
1946DogDogFireYangFeb 2
1947PigPigFireYinJan 22
1948RatRatEarthYangFeb 10
1949OxOxEarthYinJan 29
1950TigerTigerMetalYangFeb 17
1951RabbitRabbitMetalYinFeb 6
1952DragonDragonWaterYangJan 27
1953SnakeSnakeWaterYinFeb 14
1954HorseHorseWoodYangFeb 3
1955GoatGoatWoodYinJan 24
1956MonkeyMonkeyFireYangFeb 12
1957RoosterRoosterFireYinJan 31
1958DogDogEarthYangFeb 18
1959PigPigEarthYinFeb 8
1960RatRatMetalYangJan 28
1961OxOxMetalYinFeb 15
1962TigerTigerWaterYangFeb 5
1963RabbitRabbitWaterYinJan 25
1964DragonDragonWoodYangFeb 13
1965SnakeSnakeWoodYinFeb 2
1966HorseHorseFireYangJan 21
1967GoatGoatFireYinFeb 9
1968MonkeyMonkeyEarthYangJan 30
1969RoosterRoosterEarthYinFeb 17
1970DogDogMetalYangFeb 6
1971PigPigMetalYinJan 27
1972RatRatWaterYangFeb 15
1973OxOxWaterYinFeb 3
1974TigerTigerWoodYangJan 23
1975RabbitRabbitWoodYinFeb 11
1976DragonDragonFireYangJan 31
1977SnakeSnakeFireYinFeb 18
1978HorseHorseEarthYangFeb 7
1979GoatGoatEarthYinJan 28
1980MonkeyMonkeyMetalYangFeb 16
1981RoosterRoosterMetalYinFeb 5
1982DogDogWaterYangJan 25
1983PigPigWaterYinFeb 13
1984RatRatWoodYangFeb 2
1985OxOxWoodYinFeb 20
1986TigerTigerFireYangFeb 9
1987RabbitRabbitFireYinJan 29
1988DragonDragonEarthYangFeb 17
1989SnakeSnakeEarthYinFeb 6
1990HorseHorseMetalYangJan 27
1991GoatGoatMetalYinFeb 15
1992MonkeyMonkeyWaterYangFeb 4
1993RoosterRoosterWaterYinJan 23
1994DogDogWoodYangFeb 10
1995PigPigWoodYinJan 31
1996RatRatFireYangFeb 19
1997OxOxFireYinFeb 7
1998TigerTigerEarthYangJan 28
1999RabbitRabbitEarthYinFeb 16
2000DragonDragonMetalYangFeb 5
2001SnakeSnakeMetalYinJan 24
2002HorseHorseWaterYangFeb 12
2003GoatGoatWaterYinFeb 1
2004MonkeyMonkeyWoodYangJan 22
2005RoosterRoosterWoodYinFeb 9
2006DogDogFireYangJan 29
2007PigPigFireYinFeb 18
2008RatRatEarthYangFeb 7
2009OxOxEarthYinJan 26
2010TigerTigerMetalYangFeb 14
2011RabbitRabbitMetalYinFeb 3
2012DragonDragonWaterYangJan 23
2013SnakeSnakeWaterYinFeb 10
2014HorseHorseWoodYangJan 31
2015GoatGoatWoodYinFeb 19
2016MonkeyMonkeyFireYangFeb 8
2017RoosterRoosterFireYinJan 28
2018DogDogEarthYangFeb 16
2019PigPigEarthYinFeb 5
2020RatRatMetalYangJan 25
2021OxOxMetalYinFeb 12
2022TigerTigerWaterYangFeb 1
2023RabbitRabbitWaterYinJan 22
2024DragonDragonWoodYangFeb 10
2025SnakeSnakeWoodYinJan 29
2026HorseHorseFireYangFeb 17
2027GoatGoatFireYinFeb 6
2028MonkeyMonkeyEarthYangJan 26
2029RoosterRoosterEarthYinFeb 13
2030DogDogMetalYangFeb 3
2031PigPigMetalYinJan 23
2032RatRatWaterYangFeb 11
2033OxOxWaterYinJan 31
2034TigerTigerWoodYangFeb 19
2035RabbitRabbitWoodYinFeb 8
2036DragonDragonFireYangJan 28
2037SnakeSnakeFireYinFeb 15
2038HorseHorseEarthYangFeb 4
2039GoatGoatEarthYinJan 24
2040MonkeyMonkeyMetalYangFeb 12
2041RoosterRoosterMetalYinFeb 1
2042DogDogWaterYangJan 22
2043PigPigWaterYinFeb 10

How to Read This Chart

Each Chinese zodiac year carries three layers at once. The animal is your Chinese zodiac sign and shapes your core character. The year element, which is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water, is the energy flavour running through that year. The year polarity, yin or yang, sets the tone, with yang being more active and outward and yin more receptive and inward.

A year's element is not the animal's element. The element and polarity in the table above come from the year's own stem, the ten name cycle that turns over every single year, so the Rat appears ten times in this chart with five different elements beside it. An animal's own fixed element never changes: the Rat is always Yin Water, the Tiger always Yang Wood. You can see all twelve fixed elements in the grid further down this page.

The animals cycle every 12 years, while the element and polarity cycle every 10, so the full pattern only repeats once every 60 years. That is why 1924 and 1984 are both Yang Wood Rat years, and why two people born under the same animal sixty years apart share the exact same element sign. In a full sign name like Yang Wood Rat, the Yang and the Wood are the year's stem rather than a statement about the Rat, whose own fixed element is Yin Water. The pairings in this chart are fixed by the calendar, so you cannot mix and match them.

The Chinese New Year Boundary

The single most common mistake when reading a zodiac chart is using the regular January-1st calendar year. The Chinese zodiac year does not start on January 1 — it begins on Chinese New Year, which falls between late January and mid-February and shifts a little every year.

This matters most if you were born in January or early February. If your birthday falls before that year's Chinese New Year date, your zodiac sign is the previous animal, not the one printed next to your birth year. For example, someone born in late January 1990 was actually born in the Year of the Snake (the 1989 sign), because the Horse year had not yet begun. Always check your exact birth date against the "Chinese New Year Begins" column above before deciding your sign.

The 12 Zodiac Animals in Order

Across the whole chart the animals always follow the same fixed order. Each card shows that animal's own fixed element, the one it carries in every year it appears. This is not the year element in the table above, which changes from year to year. Tap any animal to read its full personality, strengths, compatibility and lucky details.

RatRatFixed elementYin WaterOxOxFixed elementYin EarthTigerTigerFixed elementYang WoodRabbitRabbitFixed elementYin WoodDragonDragonFixed elementYang EarthSnakeSnakeFixed elementYang FireHorseHorseFixed elementYin FireGoatGoatFixed elementYin EarthMonkeyMonkeyFixed elementYang MetalRoosterRoosterFixed elementYin MetalDogDogFixed elementYang EarthPigPigFixed elementYang Water

Go Deeper Than Your Year

Your birth year is only the first of four pillars in a full Chinese astrology reading. To understand how all five elements balance across your year, month, day and hour, explore the wider system:

Chinese Astrology Guide →The 60 Element Signs →The Five Elements →Yin & Yang →Compatibility Chart →

Frequently asked questions

What animal is 1990 in the Chinese zodiac?
1990 is the Year of the Horse — specifically a Yang Metal Horse year. One thing to watch: the Horse year did not begin until January 27, 1990, so anyone born in the first few weeks of January 1990 belongs to the previous sign, the Snake.
What years are Tiger years in the Chinese zodiac?
Recent and upcoming Tiger years are 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 and 2034. The Tiger is the third animal in the cycle and recurs every 12 years. Its fixed element is Wood and its polarity is Yang.
How do I find my Chinese zodiac sign?
Find your birth year in the chart above and read across to the animal. If you were born in January or early February, check your exact birth date against the Chinese New Year start date in the same row — if you were born before that date, your sign is the previous animal in the cycle.
Why does the Chinese zodiac year not start on January 1?
The Chinese zodiac follows the traditional lunisolar calendar, whose new year falls on the new moon between late January and mid-February rather than on January 1. Because the date shifts each year, the zodiac year always begins on Chinese New Year, not the Western calendar year.
Why do 1924 and 1984 have the same Chinese zodiac sign?
The 12 animals cycle every 12 years, but the five elements and yin-yang polarity cycle every 10, so the full combination only repeats every 60 years. Both 1924 and 1984 are Yang Wood Rat years because they are exactly sixty years apart.
What is the difference between the animal and the element in a zodiac year?
The animal is your core zodiac sign and shapes your character, while the element — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water — is the energy flavour layered on top of it. Together with yin or yang polarity they form one of the 60 element signs, a more specific portrait than the animal alone.

Your year is just the beginning

Knowing your animal and element is where Chinese astrology starts. Your full energy chart reads all four pillars of your birth — year, month, day and hour — to show how every element shapes your love, career and health.