Chinese zodiac calculator
The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle of animals, according to Britannica, and each year also carries one of five elements. Enter a date of birth to find your animal and element. In practice, the calculator uses the real Chinese New Year dates, so January and February birthdays come out right.
Metal Horse
Your zodiac year ran from 27 Jan 1990 to 14 Feb 1991.
This is your běnmìngnián, your own zodiac year, until 5 Feb 2027. The one after that starts on 4 Feb 2038.
Chinese zodiac years start at Chinese New Year, which falls between 21 January and 20 February. So early-year birthdays often belong to the previous animal.
Why does the date of birth matter?
Most zodiac charts list animals by calendar year. However, a Chinese zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, which moves between 21 January and 20 February. For example, the Year of the Horse began on 27 January 1990. So someone born on 20 January 1990 is still a Snake, while someone born on 10 February 1990 is a Horse. That is exactly the mix-up this calculator avoids.
Also, each year carries one of five elements, wood, fire, earth, metal or water, in pairs of two years. So the full name of a year is element plus animal, for example the Fire Goat for 2027.
Which years belong to each animal?
Each animal returns once every 12 years, so the years of one animal always sit 12 apart. For example, Goat years since 1960 are 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 and 2027. However, the start date moves from year to year, because Chinese New Year follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar. The next Goat year begins on 6 February 2027, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. Similarly, the Horse year of 2026 began on 17 February 2026, while the Horse year of 1966 began on 21 January 1966.
First, find your birth year in the table below. Second, check the start date beside it. Finally, a birthday before that date belongs to the previous animal in the cycle. The table runs from 1960 to 2031, with the start date of each year.
| Animal | Years, from 1960 |
|---|---|
| Rat | 1960 (from 28 Jan), 1972 (from 15 Feb), 1984 (from 2 Feb), 1996 (from 19 Feb), 2008 (from 7 Feb), 2020 (from 25 Jan) |
| Ox | 1961 (from 15 Feb), 1973 (from 3 Feb), 1985 (from 20 Feb), 1997 (from 7 Feb), 2009 (from 26 Jan), 2021 (from 12 Feb) |
| Tiger | 1962 (from 5 Feb), 1974 (from 23 Jan), 1986 (from 9 Feb), 1998 (from 28 Jan), 2010 (from 14 Feb), 2022 (from 1 Feb) |
| Rabbit | 1963 (from 25 Jan), 1975 (from 11 Feb), 1987 (from 29 Jan), 1999 (from 16 Feb), 2011 (from 3 Feb), 2023 (from 22 Jan) |
| Dragon | 1964 (from 13 Feb), 1976 (from 31 Jan), 1988 (from 17 Feb), 2000 (from 5 Feb), 2012 (from 23 Jan), 2024 (from 10 Feb) |
| Snake | 1965 (from 2 Feb), 1977 (from 18 Feb), 1989 (from 6 Feb), 2001 (from 24 Jan), 2013 (from 10 Feb), 2025 (from 29 Jan) |
| Horse | 1966 (from 21 Jan), 1978 (from 7 Feb), 1990 (from 27 Jan), 2002 (from 12 Feb), 2014 (from 31 Jan), 2026 (from 17 Feb) |
| Goat | 1967 (from 9 Feb), 1979 (from 28 Jan), 1991 (from 15 Feb), 2003 (from 1 Feb), 2015 (from 19 Feb), 2027 (from 6 Feb) |
| Monkey | 1968 (from 30 Jan), 1980 (from 16 Feb), 1992 (from 4 Feb), 2004 (from 22 Jan), 2016 (from 8 Feb), 2028 (from 26 Jan) |
| Rooster | 1969 (from 17 Feb), 1981 (from 5 Feb), 1993 (from 23 Jan), 2005 (from 9 Feb), 2017 (from 28 Jan), 2029 (from 13 Feb) |
| Dog | 1970 (from 6 Feb), 1982 (from 25 Jan), 1994 (from 10 Feb), 2006 (from 29 Jan), 2018 (from 16 Feb), 2030 (from 3 Feb) |
| Pig | 1971 (from 27 Jan), 1983 (from 13 Feb), 1995 (from 31 Jan), 2007 (from 18 Feb), 2019 (from 5 Feb), 2031 (from 23 Jan) |
What is a běnmìngnián, and why the red string?
Your běnmìngnián is the year of your own animal, which comes round every twelve years. In Chinese custom, people traditionally wear red through the whole year. Often the red is a cord on the wrist, worn as a wish for a smooth year. Family members also give red cords at New Year. We pass the custom on as culture, not as a promise of any effect.
For example, the Year of the Goat begins on 6 February 2027. From that date, people born in Goat years begin their own zodiac year. For a red cord with real agarwood on it, see our agarwood red string bracelets, and read more in red string bracelet meaning. Finally, we weigh every piece on camera before you pay.
On film
See the wood move
A short studio film. Before you pay, you get the same kind of film of your own strand, on the scale.