Enter your birth year to find your Chinese zodiac animal and element. Because the Chinese year begins on Lunar New Year, people born in January or early February may belong to the previous animal.
| Animal | – |
| Element | – |
| Year used | – |
How it works
The Chinese zodiac repeats a cycle of twelve animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The year 1900 was a Rat year. The element (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire or Earth) follows the last digit of the year, two digits per element. The Chinese year starts on Lunar New Year, which falls between 21 January and 20 February, so a birthday before that date belongs to the previous animal.
Recent years
| Animal | Recent birth years (from Lunar New Year) |
|---|---|
| Rat | 1996, 2008, 2020 |
| Ox | 1997, 2009, 2021 |
| Tiger | 1998, 2010, 2022 |
| Rabbit | 1999, 2011, 2023 |
| Dragon | 2000, 2012, 2024 |
| Snake | 2001, 2013, 2025 |
| Horse | 2002, 2014, 2026 |
| Goat | 2003, 2015, 2027 |
| Monkey | 2004, 2016, 2028 |
| Rooster | 2005, 2017, 2029 |
| Dog | 2006, 2018, 2030 |
| Pig | 2007, 2019, 2031 |
Frequently asked questions
What is my Chinese zodiac animal?
Enter your birth year. If you were born in January or February, check the Lunar New Year date for your year.
Which year is the Year of the Horse?
2026 begins the Year of the Horse.
How is the element chosen?
It follows the last digit of the year: 0 and 1 Metal, 2 and 3 Water, 4 and 5 Wood, 6 and 7 Fire, 8 and 9 Earth.
More free tools: Zodiac sign calculator · Generation calculator · All free tools
These results are for entertainment and general interest only.