CHINESE ZODIAC GUIDE
What Is My Chinese Zodiac?
Find your animal sign by birth year and understand how it connects to Bazi
The Chinese zodiac is a twelve-animal cycle tied to the twelve Earthly Branches. It is easiest to find from your birth year, but January and early February birthdays need extra care because the zodiac year follows the Chinese New Year boundary, not January 1.
QUICK ANSWER
- ◈Your Chinese zodiac sign is the animal linked to your birth year: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, or Pig.
- ◈If you were born in January or early February, check the Chinese New Year date for that year because you may belong to the previous animal.
- ◈In Bazi, the familiar zodiac animal is only the Year Branch. A full chart also includes Month, Day, Hour, Day Master, Ten Gods, and Luck Pillars.
ZODIAC SNAPSHOT
- 12
- Animals
- Each animal maps to one Earthly Branch.
- 60
- Stem Branch Years
- Animals combine with Heavenly Stems in the Sexagenary Cycle.
- 4
- Bazi Pillars
- The zodiac year is only one of the four birth-chart pillars.
Find your Chinese zodiac by birth year
| Birth Years | Animal | Branch | Element | Polarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032 | Rat | 子 Zi | Water | Yang |
| 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033 | Ox | 丑 Chou | Earth | Yin |
| 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 | Tiger | 寅 Yin | Wood | Yang |
| 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035 | Rabbit | 卯 Mao | Wood | Yin |
| 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036 | Dragon | 辰 Chen | Earth | Yang |
| 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 | Snake | 巳 Si | Fire | Yin |
| 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038 | Horse | 午 Wu | Fire | Yang |
| 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039 | Goat | 未 Wei | Earth | Yin |
| 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040 | Monkey | 申 Shen | Metal | Yang |
| 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041 | Rooster | 酉 You | Metal | Yin |
| 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042 | Dog | 戌 Xu | Earth | Yang |
| 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043 | Pig | 亥 Hai | Water | Yin |
Why January and February birthdays need checking
The popular zodiac sign is usually counted from Chinese New Year. For example, if Chinese New Year falls on February 5, someone born on February 3 still belongs to the previous zodiac year. Bazi year pillars may use Li Chun in many schools, so serious chart work should use the Bazi calculator rather than a simple year table.
The twelve animals and their branch symbolism
Rat
Resourceful, observant, adaptable. Zi Water marks the first stirring of yang in winter.
Ox
Steady, patient, methodical. Chou Earth stores endurance and hidden resources.
Tiger
Bold, expressive, initiating. Yin Wood marks early spring movement.
Rabbit
Diplomatic, refined, sensitive to atmosphere. Mao is pure spring Wood.
Dragon
Visionary, intense, able to hold mixed forces. Chen Earth stores Water.
Snake
Strategic, inward, perceptive. Si Fire contains hidden Metal and Earth.
Horse
Active, warm, independent. Wu is peak Fire and the noon branch.
Goat
Creative, gentle, relational. Wei Earth carries late-summer warmth.
Monkey
Quick, technical, versatile. Shen Metal begins autumn clarity.
Rooster
Precise, presentational, orderly. You is pure Metal.
Dog
Loyal, protective, principled. Xu Earth stores Fire and Metal.
Pig
Generous, intuitive, easygoing. Hai Water contains the seed of Wood.
Beyond animals: the Earthly Branch system
The animal names are memorable labels for the twelve Earthly Branches. Each branch also carries a direction, season, time of day, hidden stems, and relationship rules. This is why zodiac compatibility is a rough entry point, while Bazi reads the whole branch structure.
Harmony, clash, and compatibility
Zodiac relationships are often summarized through harmony and clash patterns. These are symbolic branch relationships, not fixed relationship verdicts. For compatibility, a complete Bazi comparison is more precise than year animals alone.
Six Harmonies
Pairs of close resonance in the branch system.
Rat and Ox, Tiger and Pig, Rabbit and Dog, Dragon and Rooster, Snake and Monkey, Horse and Goat
Three Harmonies
Triads that gather around one elemental direction.
Monkey Rat Dragon, Tiger Horse Dog, Pig Rabbit Goat, Snake Rooster Ox
Six Clashes
Oppositional pairs that often mark movement, friction, or reorientation.
Rat Horse, Ox Goat, Tiger Monkey, Rabbit Rooster, Dragon Dog, Snake Pig
Current context: 2026 Fire Horse
As of 2026, the current zodiac guide on CosmicTao focuses on the Bing Wu Fire Horse year. Use the current-year guide for dates, Li Chun and Chinese New Year boundaries, and cultural outlooks.
Read the 2026 Fire Horse guideGo beyond your zodiac sign
Generate your complete Bazi chart to see your Year, Month, Day, Hour, Day Master, Ten Gods, and Luck Pillars.
Open the Bazi CalculatorSOURCE AND METHOD NOTES
- Classical framework
- The page follows the twelve Earthly Branch and zodiac animal correspondence used in Chinese calendrical and Bazi traditions.
- Erya animal-branch tradition, Earthly Branch system, Sexagenary Cycle
- Method boundary
- Zodiac signs are presented as cultural symbols and calendar labels. They are not deterministic personality, relationship, health, or fortune claims.
- CosmicTao editorial method note