Chinese Zodiac Chart
The Chinese Zodiac Chart is an astrology reference tool covering chinese zodiac chart, chinese zodiac years chart, chinese birth chart, chinese year chart. Use the chart below to look up values instantly. Printable and downloadable versions are available on this page.
Chinese Zodiac Finder
Enter your birth year to get your Chinese zodiac animal, element, lucky numbers and compatibility.
Chinese Zodiac Chart — All 12 Animals
| Animal | Recent Years | Element | Key Personality Traits | Most Compatible With |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🐀 Rat 鼠 | 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 | Water | Clever, adaptable, quick-witted, charming, resourceful | Ox, Dragon, Monkey |
| 🐂 Ox 牛 | 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 | Earth | Dependable, strong, determined, patient, hardworking | Rat, Snake, Rooster |
| 🐅 Tiger 虎 | 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 | Wood | Brave, confident, competitive, unpredictable, charismatic | Horse, Dragon, Pig |
| 🐇 Rabbit 兔 | 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 | Wood | Gentle, elegant, kind, sensitive, cautious | Goat, Pig, Dog |
| 🐉 Dragon 龙 | 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2026 | Earth | Ambitious, magnetic, energetic, confident, generous | Rat, Tiger, Snake, Monkey, Rooster, Pig |
| 🐍 Snake 蛇 | 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2026 | Fire | Wise, intuitive, mysterious, private, elegant | Ox, Rooster |
| 🐎 Horse 马 | 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 | Fire | Energetic, free-spirited, independent, cheerful | Tiger, Goat, Dog |
| 🐑 Goat 羊 | 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 | Earth | Creative, gentle, empathetic, artistic, peace-loving | Rabbit, Horse, Pig |
| 🐒 Monkey 猴 | 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 | Metal | Clever, curious, playful, witty, inventive | Rat, Dragon, Snake |
| 🐓 Rooster 鸡 | 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 | Metal | Observant, hardworking, courageous, confident, frank | Ox, Snake, Dragon |
| 🐕 Dog 狗 | 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 | Earth | Loyal, honest, amiable, kind, cautious | Tiger, Rabbit, Horse |
| 🐖 Pig 猪 | 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 | Water | Generous, diligent, compassionate, honest, sociable | Tiger, Rabbit, Goat, Dragon |
Based on traditional Chinese astrological calendar and Five Elements theory. See also China Highlights zodiac reference.
Chinese Zodiac Year Finder
| Years | Animal |
|---|---|
| 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 | 🐀 Rat |
| 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 | 🐂 Ox |
| 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 | 🐅 Tiger |
| 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 | 🐇 Rabbit |
| 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 | 🐉 Dragon |
| 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 | 🐍 Snake |
| 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 | 🐎 Horse |
| 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 | 🐑 Goat |
| 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 | 🐒 Monkey |
| 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 | 🐓 Rooster |
| 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 | 🐕 Dog |
| 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 | 🐖 Pig |
Source: Traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar
The Five Elements in Chinese Astrology
| Element | Years (recent cycles) | Influence on the Animal |
|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Wood | 1974–1975, 1986–1987, 1998–1999, 2010–2011, 2022–2023 | Growth, creativity, flexibility, and ambition. |
| 🔥 Fire | 1976–1977, 1988–1989, 2000–2001, 2012–2013, 2026–2026 | Passion, dynamism, and leadership energy. |
| 🌍 Earth | 1978–1979, 1990–1991, 2002–2003, 2014–2015, 2026–2027 | Stability, practicality, and reliability. |
| ⚙️ Metal | 1980–1981, 1992–1993, 2004–2005, 2016–2017, 2028–2029 | Strength, ambition, and independence. |
| 💧 Water | 1982–1983, 1994–1995, 2006–2007, 2018–2019, 2030–2031 | Wisdom, flexibility, and emotional depth. |
Chinese Zodiac Finder
Enter your birth year to find your Chinese zodiac animal, element, lucky numbers, lucky colors, and best compatibility matches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What year is the Year of the Dragon?
The most recent Year of the Dragon is 2024. Dragon years recur every 12 years — the next will be 2036.
How do I find my Chinese zodiac sign?
Find your birth year in the year finder table above to identify your animal sign. If you were born in January or February check whether your birthday falls before or after Chinese New Year for that year — the animal year changes on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
What is the luckiest Chinese zodiac sign?
The Dragon is traditionally considered the luckiest and most auspicious animal in the Chinese zodiac — it is the only mythical creature and is associated with power, nobility, and good fortune. Birth rates in China rise notably during Dragon years as parents hope for Dragon-born children.
Are Chinese zodiac signs compatible with Western astrology?
No — Chinese and Western astrology are entirely separate systems. Chinese astrology is based on a 12-year animal cycle combined with a 5-element cycle and uses the lunisolar calendar. Western astrology is based on the position of the Sun in 12 constellations at the time of birth.
What does it mean to be born in your zodiac year?
In Chinese tradition the year of your birth animal (Ben Ming Nian) is considered a year of potential challenges rather than good luck — you are believed to have offended the god of age Tai Sui. People traditionally wear red during their birth animal year as protection.
What is the Chinese zodiac compatibility for Rat and Dragon?
The Rat and Dragon are considered one of the most compatible pairings in the Chinese zodiac — both are ambitious, energetic, and complement each other's strengths. The Rat's cleverness and the Dragon's power make them an effective and mutually supportive pair.
What is the Five Elements theory in Chinese astrology?
The Five Elements theory (Wu Xing) incorporates Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water into the 12-year zodiac cycle creating a 60-year Grand Cycle where each animal appears in five different elemental flavours. A person born in the Year of the Water Rat has different characteristics than one born in the Year of the Fire Rat.
Is the Chinese zodiac the same as the Vietnamese zodiac?
The Vietnamese zodiac (Con Giap) uses the same 12-year cycle but substitutes the Ox with the Water Buffalo and the Rabbit with the Cat. Most other Asian zodiac systems (Korean, Japanese, Tibetan) are closely related to the Chinese zodiac with minor regional variations.