Chinese Zodiac Calculator: Find Your Animal and Element

Enter your birth date to find your Chinese zodiac animal and element. Your sign is set by Lunar New Year, not January 1, so if you were born in January or early February you may belong to the previous year's animal. This calculator checks the exact date for every year from 1901 to 2099.

How this calculator works

The Chinese calendar follows the moon, so its New Year moves around: it always lands between January 21 and February 20. In 2025 it fell on January 29; in 2026 it falls on February 17; in 2027 it comes on February 6. A birthday on February 10 can therefore belong to two different animals depending on the year.

We compute every Lunar New Year from astronomical calendar data rather than a fixed rule of thumb, then compare it with your birthday. You get your animal, the element of your year, and the traditional best and hardest matches for your sign.

Lunar New Year vs. Li Chun

There is a second way to draw the line. Four Pillars of Destiny (BaZi) uses Li Chun, the first solar term of spring, which arrives around February 4 each year. Most people, charts and celebrations go by Lunar New Year, so that is the answer we lead with. When the two methods disagree for your birthday, we tell you both.

The 12 zodiac animals in order

The cycle always runs in the same order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. Tap an animal for its personality, compatibility and every year it rules.

鼠Rat1996, 2008, 2020牛Ox1997, 2009, 2021虎Tiger1998, 2010, 2022兔Rabbit1999, 2011, 2023龍Dragon2000, 2012, 2024蛇Snake2001, 2013, 2025馬Horse2002, 2014, 2026羊Goat2003, 2015, 2027猴Monkey2004, 2016, 2028雞Rooster2005, 2017, 2029狗Dog2006, 2018, 2030豬Pig2007, 2019, 2031

The five elements

On top of the animal, each year carries an element: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water. Elements change every two years, which creates a 60-year cycle. A Fire Horse (1966, 2026) and a Metal Horse (1990) share the Horse's core temperament but are said to express it differently: Fire turns up the intensity, Metal adds focus and stubbornness.

Chinese zodiac years chart (1924-2043)

Each zodiac year starts on Lunar New Year and ends the day before the next one.