Free · Uses your exact birthday
Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Find your Chinese zodiac animal, element, and Yin or Yang from your exact date of birth.
What Is My Chinese Zodiac Sign?
Your Chinese zodiac sign is determined by the Chinese zodiac year associated with your date of birth. The 12 animals — Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig — repeat in that order, year after year. Your sign comes from the year you were born in, not from a type you choose.
Because the Chinese zodiac follows the lunar calendar, people born in January or February should use an exact birth-date calculator rather than relying on the Western calendar year alone. If you were born before that year’s Lunar New Year, your animal still belongs to the previous year. That is the most common reason two people born in the same Western year have different signs.
That boundary is the reason a birthday like 1 February 1992 is a Goat, not a Monkey. Chinese New Year in 1992 fell on 4 February. A formula that only looks at 1992 will give the wrong sign. The same trap appears in 2000, 2012, 2023, and any other year when Lunar New Year sits in late January or mid-February.
If you only remember “I am a Dragon,” you still may not have the right Chinese zodiac sign. The animal is half of the answer. The Chinese year also carries an element and Yin or Yang, which is why this page asks for a full date of birth instead of a year box.
How Does the Chinese Zodiac Calculator Work?
We find your Chinese zodiac sign using Chinese New Year, not January 1.
一
Enter your birth date
Month, day, and year — not just the year. A year alone cannot tell whether your birthday fell before or after Chinese New Year.
二
We check the correct Chinese zodiac year
The date is converted to the Chinese lunar calendar. We then read the Lunar New Year that actually contains your birthday, instead of assuming the zodiac year matches the Western calendar year.
三
We calculate your zodiac animal
Your animal comes from that Chinese year. The 12-year order is always Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
四
We determine your element and Yin or Yang
The same year also has an element — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water — and a Yin or Yang quality. Together they make the full sign, such as Metal Dragon or Wood Snake.
The 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs
All 12 Chinese zodiac signs →Choose an animal to explore its personality, compatibility, and zodiac years. If you were born in January or February, check your full birth date in the calculator above to confirm your sign.
🐀 Rat
鼠 · Shǔ
Years: 2032, 2020, 2008, 1996
🐂 Ox
牛 · Niú
Years: 2033, 2021, 2009, 1997
🐅 Tiger
虎 · Hǔ
Years: 2034, 2022, 2010, 1998
🐇 Rabbit
兔 · Tù
Years: 2035, 2023, 2011, 1999
🐉 Dragon
龙 · Lóng
Years: 2036, 2024, 2012, 2000
🐍 Snake
蛇 · Shé
Years: 2025, 2013, 2001, 1989
🐴 Horse
马 · Mǎ
Years: 2026, 2014, 2002, 1990
🐐 Goat
羊 · Yáng
Years: 2027, 2015, 2003, 1991
🐒 Monkey
猴 · Hóu
Years: 2028, 2016, 2004, 1992
🐓 Rooster
鸡 · Jī
Years: 2029, 2017, 2005, 1993
🐕 Dog
狗 · Gǒu
Years: 2030, 2018, 2006, 1994
🐖 Pig
猪 · Zhū
Years: 2031, 2019, 2007, 1995
Find Your Chinese Zodiac Sign and Element
Every Chinese zodiac year combines one of the 12 animals with one of the Five Elements. The animal repeats every 12 years; the element changes in two-year Yin/Yang pairs, and the full animal-plus-element combination repeats every 60 years. That longer cycle is why a Rat born in 1996 is not the same full sign as a Rat born in 2008.
Wood is associated with growth and planning. Fire is associated with visibility and speed. Earth is associated with stability. Metal is associated with standards and structure. Water is associated with adaptability and timing. None of these replace the animal — they qualify it.
That is why two Dragons are not the same sign. A 2000 birthday after Chinese New Year is a Metal Dragon. A 2012 Dragon is Water. A 2024 Dragon is Wood. If you only know “Dragon,” you still have not found your Chinese zodiac sign and element. Use the calculator above for both, then open the elements page if you want the five types in more detail.
木
Wood
火
Fire
土
Earth
金
Metal
水
Water
Chinese Zodiac Compatibility
Some Chinese zodiac signs are traditionally considered more harmonious than others. A few pairs are treated as easy company. A few are treated as more stressful. That can be a useful starting point for love, friendship, or family — it is not a verdict on two people.
Already know your animal sign?
Chinese Zodiac Years
The table below is a short recent-year chart, not a complete 1900–2100 list. Each row is a lunar year: the animal and element that apply after that year’s Chinese New Year. If your birthday is earlier than Lunar New Year in that Western year, you still belong to the previous row.
Use this as a quick check after you calculate. For Lunar New Year dates and a longer span of years, open the full chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is my Chinese zodiac sign?+
Your Chinese zodiac sign is the animal of the Chinese year that contains your birthday. The year changes at Chinese New Year, not on January 1, so the surest way to find it is to enter your exact date of birth. For personality and matches for every animal, see the 12 Chinese zodiac signs
How do I calculate my Chinese zodiac sign?+
Enter your month, day, and year of birth. We convert that date to the Chinese calendar year, then read the animal, element, and Yin or Yang for that year.
Does the Chinese zodiac start on January 1?+
No. The Chinese zodiac year follows Lunar New Year, usually in late January or February. Someone born in January 1992 is still a Goat, because the Monkey year did not begin until February 4, 1992. Exact dates for every year are on the Chinese Zodiac Years Chart
What is my Chinese zodiac element?+
Each Chinese year also has one of the Five Elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water. Together with your animal, that makes a full sign such as Metal Dragon or Wood Snake. The result above shows both. For a deeper look, open the Chinese Zodiac Element Calculator
What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals?+
In order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The animals repeat every 12 years. The animal plus element repeats on a longer 60-year cycle. Read each animal on the Chinese zodiac signs page
Why can January and February birthdays have a different zodiac sign?+
If your birthday is before that year's Chinese New Year, you still belong to the previous animal year. That is why a birth year alone is often wrong for winter birthdays. Check the boundary dates on the Chinese Zodiac Years Chart
Which Chinese zodiac signs are compatible?+
Some pairs are traditionally seen as easier, and some as more difficult. To compare two signs, use our Chinese Zodiac Compatibility Calculator
Related Chinese Zodiac Tools
2008 Chinese Zodiac – Earth Rat
Earth Rat dates, element, and whether a 2008 birthday is Pig or Rat.
1996 Chinese Zodiac – Fire Rat
Fire Rat dates, element, and the February Pig-or-Rat boundary.
2027 Chinese Zodiac – Fire Goat
Exact Fire Goat dates, element, and whether a 2027 birthday is Horse or Goat.
Chinese Zodiac Compatibility Calculator
Compare two animal signs for love, friendship, or family.
Chinese Zodiac Element Calculator
See whether your year is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water.
Chinese Zodiac Years
See which animal and element belong to each year, plus Chinese New Year dates.
The 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs
Personality, matches, and lunar years for every animal.