Free Family Roots Tool

Free Chinese Zodiac Calculator

This Chinese zodiac calculator finds your zodiac animal, element, and yin or yang polarity from your full birth date. It uses the actual Lunar New Year date for each year, not January 1, so January and February birthdays get the right sign.

You also get the exact first and last day of your zodiac year, traditional strengths and compatibility notes, and a prompt for a family history conversation. Everything runs in your browser, and nothing you enter is uploaded or saved.

Lunar New Year boundary1900 to 2099 lunar yearsanimal, element, yin or yangprivate, in-browser

Step 1

Enter a birth date

Use the full date, not just the year, so births in January and February land on the right side of Lunar New Year. Everything is calculated in this browser; nothing is uploaded or saved.

Birth date

Supported dates: January 31, 1900 to February 8, 2100. Example: February 8, 1986 is a Wood Ox, but February 9, 1986 is a Fire Tiger.

Try an example

Step 2

Your Chinese zodiac sign

Your animal, element, and polarity will appear here.

Enter a birth date, or pick an example, to see the zodiac year's exact start and end dates, traditional strengths, compatibility notes, and a family history conversation prompt.

Zodiac traits and compatibility notes describe cultural tradition and are offered for entertainment and conversation. They are not a scientific assessment of personality or relationships.

How the calculator works

Lunar New Year moves between January 21 and February 20. The calculator looks up that date for your birth year in a table stored on this page. If you were born before it, your sign comes from the previous lunar year. The table follows the traditional calendar in China Standard Time, so a birth abroad on the day of or before Lunar New Year is flagged for a local-time check.

Each lunar year pairs a heavenly stem with an earthly branch. The branch gives the animal, and the stem gives the element and polarity. The stems cycle through five elements, two years each, the first yang and the second yin.

Elements, heavenly stems, and the last digit of the lunar year
ElementYang yearYin year
WoodJia, ends in 4Yi, ends in 5
FireBing, ends in 6Ding, ends in 7
EarthWu, ends in 8Ji, ends in 9
MetalGeng, ends in 0Xin, ends in 1
WaterRen, ends in 2Gui, ends in 3
Wood
Traditionally linked with growth, generosity, and cooperation. Nourishes Fire.
Fire
Traditionally linked with passion, warmth, and leadership. Nourishes Earth.
Earth
Traditionally linked with stability, patience, and practicality. Nourishes Metal.
Metal
Traditionally linked with determination, discipline, and integrity. Nourishes Water.
Water
Traditionally linked with flexibility, insight, and communication. Nourishes Wood.

Chinese zodiac by birth year

Lunar years from 1924 to 2031. Each lunar year starts on Lunar New Year, so if you were born in January or February, use the calculator above to check which side of the boundary you fall on.

Rat
1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
Ox
1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
Tiger
1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
Rabbit
1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
Dragon
1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Snake
1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Horse
1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Goat
1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Monkey
1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Rooster
1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Dog
1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Pig
1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031

Chinese zodiac calculator FAQ

What is my Chinese zodiac sign?

Your sign is the animal of the lunar year you were born in. Enter your full birth date above and the calculator finds the matching lunar year, its animal, its element, and whether it is a yin or yang year.

Why does my birth date matter and not just my birth year?

The zodiac year starts on Lunar New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20, not on January 1. Anyone born in January or early February before that date belongs to the previous year's animal. For example, February 8, 1986 is a Wood Ox, but February 9, 1986 is a Fire Tiger.

How are the element and yin or yang worked out?

Each year pairs one of 10 heavenly stems with one of 12 animals, giving a 60-year cycle. The stems run through Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, two years each, alternating yang and yin. Years ending in 0 or 1 are Metal, 2 or 3 Water, 4 or 5 Wood, 6 or 7 Fire, and 8 or 9 Earth.

Which date range does the calculator support?

Birth dates from January 31, 1900 to February 8, 2100, which covers every lunar year from 1900 through 2099. The Lunar New Year dates come from a table stored on this page, so your birth date never leaves your device.

Some sites use February 4 as the start of the year. Which is right?

Both are traditions. The popular zodiac follows Lunar New Year, which this calculator uses. Four Pillars astrology (Bazi) starts the year at Lichun, the start of spring, around February 4. If you were born between those two dates, the two systems can give different animals.

Are the personality traits and compatibility scientific?

No. Traits and pairings come from cultural tradition and folklore. Treat them as entertainment and a starting point for family conversations, not as a scientific assessment of anyone's personality or relationships.

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