About the Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Chinese Zodiac Calculator finds your animal sign from your birth date. The twelve animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig, and each Chinese year also has one of five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and is Yin or Yang. The Chinese year begins at the Lunar New Year, in late January or February, not on 1 January, so the page uses the Chinese calendar data in your browser to put people born early in the year under the right animal.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Chinese Zodiac Calculator
- 1Pick your date of birth.
- 2Read your animal, element and Yin or Yang.
- 3Check the year in which your Chinese year began.
- 4See the other years of your animal, twelve years apart.
- 5Copy the result to share.
The twelve animals
According to legend, the Jade Emperor invited the animals to a race and the order they finished in gave the cycle its order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. People often say that each animal has typical traits, such as the Dragon's confidence or the Ox's patience, but these are traditions for fun, not science.
Elements and Yin or Yang
Each year also has one of five elements, and years alternate between Yang and Yin. The element changes every two years, so the same animal returns with a different element every 12 years and with the same element only every 60 years. A person born in 1984 and one born in 2044 are both Wood Rats. This page shows the element and polarity for your year.
- Wood: years ending in 4 and 5
- Fire: 6 and 7
- Earth: 8 and 9
- Metal: 0 and 1
- Water: 2 and 3
Why the Lunar New Year matters
The Lunar New Year moves each year because it depends on the moon. If you were born on 20 January 2024, the Dragon year had not begun yet, so you are a Rabbit. Simple tables that use only the calendar year get this wrong. This page asks the Chinese calendar directly, which keeps January and February births correct.
Related tools
Learn your Western sign with the Zodiac Sign Calculator, your numerology number with the Life Path Number Calculator and your age with the Age Calculator. Birthdays can be planned with the Birthday Calculator.
Features
- Animal, element and Yin or Yang
- Correct for January and February birthdays
- Uses the real Lunar New Year dates
- Lists years of the same animal
- Works for any date in the calendar's range
- Private: nothing is uploaded
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my Chinese zodiac?
Enter your birth date. The page works out which Chinese year it falls in and shows the animal for that year.
Why does my January or February birthday have a different animal?
The Chinese year starts at the Lunar New Year, which falls between 21 January and 20 February. If you were born before it that year, your animal is the one of the year before.
What is the zodiac cycle?
The twelve animals repeat every 12 years in the same order. Together with the five elements they make a cycle of 60 years.
What are the elements?
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Each element covers two years in a row, one Yang and one Yin.
Which animal is the year 2024?
2024 began on 10 February 2024 and is the year of the Wood Dragon. 2025 is the Wood Snake and 2026 is the Fire Horse.
Is Chinese zodiac the same as the Western zodiac?
No. The Western zodiac is based on the month of the year, the Chinese zodiac on the year of birth in a twelve year cycle.
Is it scientific?
No. It is a cultural tradition used for fun, festivals and customs. It cannot predict personality or luck.
Is my date stored?
No. Everything happens in your browser.