Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Find your Chinese zodiac animal and its element from your birth year, with a note for those born near the lunar new year.
How it works
animal = 12-year cycle indexed from the year (…2020 = Rat, 2021 = Ox…); element = a 10-year cycle from the year’s last digit (0–1 Metal, 2–3 Water, 4–5 Wood, 6–7 Fire, 8–9 Earth)
The Chinese zodiac repeats every 12 years, each year ruled by one of twelve animals, and pairs with a five-element cycle (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) that turns every two years — together giving a 60-year cycle. Because the Chinese year begins at the lunar new year (late January or February), not January 1, births in those early weeks can fall under the previous year’s animal. The animal and element for a full year are fixed, factual assignments.
Worked example
1990 has a last digit of 0 (Metal) and lands on the Horse in the 12-year cycle, making it the year of the Metal Horse — traditionally active, free-spirited and warm. The next Horse years are 2002, 2014 and 2026.
Frequently asked questions
I was born in late January — which animal am I?
It depends on the exact lunar new year date that year. If you were born before it, you belong to the previous year’s animal. Look up the lunar new year for your birth year to be sure.
What does the element add?
Each animal cycles through the five elements over 60 years, so a Metal Horse and a Fire Horse are considered different. The element comes from the year’s heavenly stem, tracked here by the last digit.
Is this the same as my Western star sign?
No — the Western zodiac is based on your birth month and day within a year, while the Chinese zodiac is based on your birth year. Many people know both.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.