About the Chinese Zodiac Calculator
The Chinese zodiac assigns each year to one of 12 animals – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig – in a repeating 12-year cycle. Combined with the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), each year also has a name in the 60-year stem-branch cycle, such as 乙亥 (Wood Pig) for 1995 or 丙午 (Fire Horse) for 2026.
A Chinese zodiac year does not start on January 1 but at Lunar New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20. This calculator looks up the exact date for your birth year, so if you were born in early 1990 before January 27, it correctly shows the Snake rather than the Horse. Your Western star sign and today’s age are shown as well.
How to use
- Enter your birth year, then choose the month and day.
- Read your Chinese zodiac animal, element and stem-branch name, plus your Western star sign, right below.
- If you were born in January or February, the note tells you when Lunar New Year fell that year.
- The table lists the birth years for every animal over the last 100 years; open “Show every year” for the full list.
Lunar New Year dates
The animal changes on Lunar New Year, the first day of the first month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Recent and upcoming dates:
| Year | Lunar New Year | Animal |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | January 25 | Rat |
| 2021 | February 12 | Ox |
| 2022 | February 1 | Tiger |
| 2023 | January 22 | Rabbit |
| 2024 | February 10 | Dragon |
| 2025 | January 29 | Snake |
| 2026 | February 17 | Horse |
| 2027 | February 6 | Goat |
| 2028 | January 26 | Monkey |
Some Chinese astrology systems (such as the Four Pillars) start the year at Lichun, the “start of spring”, around February 4 instead.
The five elements and the 60-year cycle
Each year combines one of 10 heavenly stems with one of 12 earthly branches. The stems come in pairs for the five elements – Wood (甲乙), Fire (丙丁), Earth (戊己), Metal (庚辛), Water (壬癸) – so the last digit of a year tells you its element: 4–5 Wood, 6–7 Fire, 8–9 Earth, 0–1 Metal, 2–3 Water. The full combination repeats every 60 years.
Western star sign dates
| Sign | Dates |
|---|---|
| ♑ Capricorn | December 22 – January 19 |
| ♒ Aquarius | January 20 – February 18 |
| ♓ Pisces | February 19 – March 20 |
| ♈ Aries | March 21 – April 19 |
| ♉ Taurus | April 20 – May 20 |
| ♊ Gemini | May 21 – June 21 |
| ♋ Cancer | June 22 – July 22 |
| ♌ Leo | July 23 – August 22 |
| ♍ Virgo | August 23 – September 22 |
| ♎ Libra | September 23 – October 22 |
| ♏ Scorpio | October 23 – November 21 |
| ♐ Sagittarius | November 22 – December 21 |
Dates on the cusp can shift by a day from year to year, because they depend on when the Sun enters each sign.
FAQ
Why is my Chinese zodiac different from my birth year’s animal?
If you were born in January or early February before Lunar New Year, you belong to the previous year’s animal. For example, someone born on January 15, 2026 is a Snake, because the Year of the Horse began on February 17, 2026.
What is my Chinese zodiac element?
It follows the last digit of your zodiac year: 0–1 Metal, 2–3 Water, 4–5 Wood, 6–7 Fire, 8–9 Earth. The calculator shows it next to your animal, e.g. Fire Horse for 2026.
When does the next year of my animal come?
Every 12 years. The calculator shows the next one and the date its Lunar New Year begins. The same element and animal together return only every 60 years.
Is my data stored?
No. The calculation runs in your browser; your last input is remembered only on this device.