Chinese Zodiac Calculator

The 12 Chinese zodiac animals

Chinese zodiac years chart (1948 to 2031)

Find your birth year below. If you were born in January or February, check the exact Chinese New Year date on the year page, because the animal year begins on that day rather than on January 1.

How the Chinese zodiac works

The Chinese zodiac is a repeating twelve-year cycle in which each year is represented by an animal: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Combined with five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) and the yin and yang polarity of each year, the full cycle repeats every sixty years.

The animal year follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It begins at Chinese New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20 depending on the new moon, not on January 1. Compatibility traditionally groups the animals into four trines of three friendly signs, and pairs each animal with an opposite that tends to clash. Treat all of this as a cultural tradition for reflection and fun rather than prediction.

Looking for the Western system? See the zodiac signs and dates chart.