Kosmo - Cosmic Dating App

    Chinese Zodiac Signs and Years: How to Find Your Animal

    By KosmoHow Kosmo makes its readings

    Your Chinese zodiac animal depends on the lunar year that contains your birthday, not simply the year printed on your birth certificate. Find your Gregorian birth year below, then check whether your birthday falls before its Lunar New Year start. In Chinese zodiac tradition, animals offer symbolic themes for reflection rather than a verdict on your personality.

    The 12 animals, in order

    The sequence repeats every 12 lunar years: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The Hong Kong Observatory uses Mouse for Rat; Goat is also called Sheep or Ram. Those naming differences do not change the calendar boundary.

    Animal years beginning in 1960–2031; check the start dates below before choosing.
    AnimalYears beginning
    Rat1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
    Ox1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
    Tiger1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
    Rabbit1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
    Dragon1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
    Snake1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
    Horse1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
    Goat1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
    Monkey1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
    Rooster1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
    Dog1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
    Pig1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031

    Exact starts and ends for each animal year

    This table uses the Lunar New Year convention throughout. Both endpoints are inclusive: a birthday on the start date belongs to the new animal year, while a birthday on the end date still belongs to that row. The element column includes the heavenly stem’s yin or yang quality.

    Lunar animal years beginning in 1960–2031, from Hong Kong Observatory dates.
    StartsEndsAnimalElement
    Jan 28, 1960Feb 14, 1961RatMetal, yang
    Feb 15, 1961Feb 4, 1962OxMetal, yin
    Feb 5, 1962Jan 24, 1963TigerWater, yang
    Jan 25, 1963Feb 12, 1964RabbitWater, yin
    Feb 13, 1964Feb 1, 1965DragonWood, yang
    Feb 2, 1965Jan 20, 1966SnakeWood, yin
    Jan 21, 1966Feb 8, 1967HorseFire, yang
    Feb 9, 1967Jan 29, 1968GoatFire, yin
    Jan 30, 1968Feb 16, 1969MonkeyEarth, yang
    Feb 17, 1969Feb 5, 1970RoosterEarth, yin
    Feb 6, 1970Jan 26, 1971DogMetal, yang
    Jan 27, 1971Feb 14, 1972PigMetal, yin
    Feb 15, 1972Feb 2, 1973RatWater, yang
    Feb 3, 1973Jan 22, 1974OxWater, yin
    Jan 23, 1974Feb 10, 1975TigerWood, yang
    Feb 11, 1975Jan 30, 1976RabbitWood, yin
    Jan 31, 1976Feb 17, 1977DragonFire, yang
    Feb 18, 1977Feb 6, 1978SnakeFire, yin
    Feb 7, 1978Jan 27, 1979HorseEarth, yang
    Jan 28, 1979Feb 15, 1980GoatEarth, yin
    Feb 16, 1980Feb 4, 1981MonkeyMetal, yang
    Feb 5, 1981Jan 24, 1982RoosterMetal, yin
    Jan 25, 1982Feb 12, 1983DogWater, yang
    Feb 13, 1983Feb 1, 1984PigWater, yin
    Feb 2, 1984Feb 19, 1985RatWood, yang
    Feb 20, 1985Feb 8, 1986OxWood, yin
    Feb 9, 1986Jan 28, 1987TigerFire, yang
    Jan 29, 1987Feb 16, 1988RabbitFire, yin
    Feb 17, 1988Feb 5, 1989DragonEarth, yang
    Feb 6, 1989Jan 26, 1990SnakeEarth, yin
    Jan 27, 1990Feb 14, 1991HorseMetal, yang
    Feb 15, 1991Feb 3, 1992GoatMetal, yin
    Feb 4, 1992Jan 22, 1993MonkeyWater, yang
    Jan 23, 1993Feb 9, 1994RoosterWater, yin
    Feb 10, 1994Jan 30, 1995DogWood, yang
    Jan 31, 1995Feb 18, 1996PigWood, yin
    Feb 19, 1996Feb 6, 1997RatFire, yang
    Feb 7, 1997Jan 27, 1998OxFire, yin
    Jan 28, 1998Feb 15, 1999TigerEarth, yang
    Feb 16, 1999Feb 4, 2000RabbitEarth, yin
    Feb 5, 2000Jan 23, 2001DragonMetal, yang
    Jan 24, 2001Feb 11, 2002SnakeMetal, yin
    Feb 12, 2002Jan 31, 2003HorseWater, yang
    Feb 1, 2003Jan 21, 2004GoatWater, yin
    Jan 22, 2004Feb 8, 2005MonkeyWood, yang
    Feb 9, 2005Jan 28, 2006RoosterWood, yin
    Jan 29, 2006Feb 17, 2007DogFire, yang
    Feb 18, 2007Feb 6, 2008PigFire, yin
    Feb 7, 2008Jan 25, 2009RatEarth, yang
    Jan 26, 2009Feb 13, 2010OxEarth, yin
    Feb 14, 2010Feb 2, 2011TigerMetal, yang
    Feb 3, 2011Jan 22, 2012RabbitMetal, yin
    Jan 23, 2012Feb 9, 2013DragonWater, yang
    Feb 10, 2013Jan 30, 2014SnakeWater, yin
    Jan 31, 2014Feb 18, 2015HorseWood, yang
    Feb 19, 2015Feb 7, 2016GoatWood, yin
    Feb 8, 2016Jan 27, 2017MonkeyFire, yang
    Jan 28, 2017Feb 15, 2018RoosterFire, yin
    Feb 16, 2018Feb 4, 2019DogEarth, yang
    Feb 5, 2019Jan 24, 2020PigEarth, yin
    Jan 25, 2020Feb 11, 2021RatMetal, yang
    Feb 12, 2021Jan 31, 2022OxMetal, yin
    Feb 1, 2022Jan 21, 2023TigerWater, yang
    Jan 22, 2023Feb 9, 2024RabbitWater, yin
    Feb 10, 2024Jan 28, 2025DragonWood, yang
    Jan 29, 2025Feb 16, 2026SnakeWood, yin
    Feb 17, 2026Feb 5, 2027HorseFire, yang
    Feb 6, 2027Jan 25, 2028GoatFire, yin
    Jan 26, 2028Feb 12, 2029MonkeyEarth, yang
    Feb 13, 2029Feb 2, 2030RoosterEarth, yin
    Feb 3, 2030Jan 22, 2031DogMetal, yang
    Jan 23, 2031Feb 10, 2032PigMetal, yin

    How to use your birthday

    1. Locate the row beginning in your Gregorian birth year. Read its start date before reading the animal.
    2. If your birthday is on or after that start, use that row. If it is earlier, use the preceding row instead.
    3. Keep the animal and element together when recording the result. For an early 1960 birthday before the first listed start, consult the preceding HKO year table.

    Why a year-only shortcut is not enough

    A shortcut that subtracts four from the Gregorian year and takes the remainder after division by twelve ignores the birthday. It cannot correctly assign January and February birthdays before Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year falls between 21 January and 20 February, so a familiar animal-year label is only a starting point, not a complete lookup.

    You may also see a different answer from a BaZi or Four Pillars source. That practice often changes the year at Li Chun, the solar term called Spring Commences, instead of Lunar New Year. In 2027, Li Chun is on 4 February and Lunar New Year is on 6 February. State the convention rather than treating these two boundaries as interchangeable.

    Keep the result useful

    Save your animal, element and calendar convention together, especially if you are comparing answers with a partner. Ask which qualities feel familiar and which do not; avoid turning an animal into a rule about whom you should date. Next, explore the Chinese elements guide or the comparison with Western zodiac signs to understand what each system is describing.

    Sources