鼠
Rat
shǔ
2008 · 2020 · 2032
Chinese Zodiac · 生肖
Chinese ZodiacCalculator
Enter your birth year to find your Chinese zodiac animal with its Chinese character, pinyin pronunciation, personality traits, lucky colors, and compatibility.
1920 – 2030·12 Animals · 十二生肖·Free · No Sign-up
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How It Works
How the Calculator Works
Two steps. No sign-up. The calculator handles the awkward edge case that trips up most online zodiac tools — births in January and early February.
- Step 1
Enter your birth year
Type your birth year into the Chinese zodiac calculator above. For accurate results — especially if you were born in January or early February — switch to the "By Birth Date" tab so we can apply the Chinese New Year cutoff for you.
- Step 2
See your zodiac animal
Your Chinese zodiac sign appears instantly with the Chinese character, pinyin pronunciation, personality traits, lucky colors, and best compatibility matches. Each animal also links to a typing lesson for the character.
The Twelve
The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals
Each animal carries its own character, pinyin, and a six-cycle memory of birth years. Together they form 十二生肖 — the complete zodiac cycle.
牛
Ox
niú
2009 · 2021 · 2033
虎
Tiger
hǔ
2010 · 2022 · 2034
兔
Rabbit
tù
2011 · 2023 · 2035
龙
Dragon
lóng
2012 · 2024 · 2036
蛇
Snake
shé
2013 · 2025 · 2037
马
Horse
mǎ
2014 · 2026 · 2038
羊
Goat
yáng
2015 · 2027 · 2039
猴
Monkey
hóu
2016 · 2028 · 2040
鸡
Rooster
jī
2017 · 2029 · 2041
狗
Dog
gǒu
2018 · 2030 · 2042
猪
Pig
zhū
2019 · 2031 · 2043
Reference Table
Chinese Zodiac by Birth Year
Find your Chinese zodiac animal directly by birth year. Each row covers one animal across the modern cycles (1924–2031). Years before Chinese New Year fall under the previous animal — see the calculator above for date-precise lookups.
AnimalBirth Years
鼠
Rat
192419361948196019721984199620082020
牛
Ox
192519371949196119731985199720092021
虎
Tiger
192619381950196219741986199820102022
兔
Rabbit
192719391951196319751987199920112023
龙
Dragon
192819401952196419761988200020122024
蛇
Snake
192919411953196519771989200120132025
马
Horse
193019421954196619781990200220142026
羊
Goat
193119431955196719791991200320152027
猴
Monkey
193219441956196819801992200420162028
鸡
Rooster
193319451957196919811993200520172029
狗
Dog
193419461958197019821994200620182030
猪
Pig
193519471959197119831995200720192031
Current yearUpcomingPast cycles
Chinese New Year Cutoff
Why Your Birth Month Matters
The Chinese zodiac year does not begin on January 1. It begins on Chinese New Year — a date that drifts between January 21 and February 20 depending on the lunar calendar.
If you were born in January or early February, your Chinese zodiac animal might belong to the previous year. For example, anyone born on January 15, 2026 is still a 蛇 Snake (2025), because Chinese New Year 2026 falls on February 17. The calculator above applies this cutoff automatically when you use "By Birth Date" mode.
Year-only zodiac calculators get this wrong roughly 10% of the time — anyone born in January or the first half of February.
Chinese New Year
2020 – 2030
- 2020Jan 25→鼠 Rat
- 2021Feb 12→牛 Ox
- 2022Feb 1→虎 Tiger
- 2023Jan 22→兔 Rabbit
- 2024Feb 10→龙 Dragon
- 2025Jan 29→蛇 Snake
- 2026Feb 17→马 Horse
- 2027Feb 6→羊 Goat
- 2028Jan 26→猴 Monkey
- 2029Feb 13→鸡 Rooster
- 2030Feb 3→狗 Dog
Source · Hong Kong Observatory
Hover any cell to see the pairing.
| 鼠 | 牛 | 虎 | 兔 | 龙 | 蛇 | 马 | 羊 | 猴 | 鸡 | 狗 | 猪 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鼠 | ||||||||||||
| 牛 | ||||||||||||
| 虎 | ||||||||||||
| 兔 | ||||||||||||
| 龙 | ||||||||||||
| 蛇 | ||||||||||||
| 马 | ||||||||||||
| 羊 | ||||||||||||
| 猴 | ||||||||||||
| 鸡 | ||||||||||||
| 狗 | ||||||||||||
| 猪 |
Best matchClashNeutralSame sign
Compatibility
Zodiac Compatibility Matrix
How each Chinese zodiac animal pairs with the other eleven. Find your animal in the left column, then read across to see your best matches (jade) and clashes (rose).
Course · 课程
Type the 12 Zodiac Animals十二生肖 · 一字一课
Found your animal? Take it further. The Twelve Animals Within teaches you to type each character, hear native pronunciation, and master the personality vocabulary behind every zodiac sign.
Start the CourseInteractive·Native Audio·Pinyin
Questions · 问答
Frequently Asked Questions
01How do I find my Chinese zodiac animal?
Enter your birth year (or full birth date for accuracy) into the calculator above. The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle that resets at Chinese New Year, so births in January or early February may belong to the previous animal year — the calculator handles this automatically.
02What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in order?
The 12 animals are: Rat (鼠), Ox (牛), Tiger (虎), Rabbit (兔), Dragon (龙), Snake (蛇), Horse (马), Goat (羊), Monkey (猴), Rooster (鸡), Dog (狗), and Pig (猪). The cycle repeats every 12 years.
03What is the Chinese zodiac animal for 2026?
2026 is the Year of the Horse (马 mǎ). Chinese New Year 2026 falls on February 17, so anyone born from Feb 17, 2026 onward is a Horse; births before that date in 2026 are still Snakes (2025).
04Why does my zodiac animal change if I was born in January?
The Chinese zodiac year does not start on January 1 — it starts on Chinese New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20 each year. If you were born before that date, you belong to the previous animal year.
05How do I learn to type and write the Chinese characters for my zodiac animal?
Our course "The Twelve Animals Within" teaches you to type and recognize all 12 zodiac animal characters with pinyin, native audio, and interactive practice. Each animal has its own lesson covering the character, personality vocabulary, and common expressions.
06What does my Chinese zodiac say about my personality?
Each animal is associated with a fixed set of personality traits in Chinese tradition. For example, Dragons are seen as confident and ambitious, Rats as clever and resourceful, Tigers as bold and charismatic. The calculator above shows the traits for your specific animal.
07Is the Chinese zodiac the same as Chinese astrology?
The Chinese zodiac (生肖 shēng xiào) is the 12-animal cycle based on your birth year. Full Chinese astrology also factors in the Four Pillars (year, month, day, hour) and the Five Elements. The calculator above covers the zodiac animal — the most-asked piece of the system.