Chinese zodiac by year — and the January trap
The cycle runs Rat → Ox → Tiger → Rabbit → Dragon → Snake → Horse → Goat → Monkey → Rooster → Dog → Pig, repeating every 12 years. Quick lookup for recent decades:
| Animal | Years |
|---|---|
| 🐀 Rat | 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 |
| 🐂 Ox | 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 |
| 🐅 Tiger | 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 |
| 🐇 Rabbit | 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 |
| 🐉 Dragon | 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 |
| 🐍 Snake | 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 |
| 🐎 Horse | 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 |
| 🐐 Goat | 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 |
| 🐒 Monkey | 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 |
| 🐓 Rooster | 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 |
| 🐕 Dog | 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 |
| 🐖 Pig | 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019 |
The January–February trap
The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year (late January to mid-February), not on 1 January. Someone born on 25 January 1990 is a Snake (1989's animal), not a Horse. If the birthday is in January or the first half of February, check the exact New Year date of that year — our poster marks these dates with a footnote automatically.
The traits, briefly
Tradition assigns each animal a temperament — Rat: quick-witted; Ox: steady; Tiger: bold; Rabbit: gentle; Dragon: charismatic; Snake: wise; Horse: free-spirited; Goat: artistic; Monkey: clever; Rooster: precise; Dog: loyal; Pig: generous. Like star signs, it's culture rather than science — and it's exactly the kind of detail that makes a birth poster feel rich.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my Chinese zodiac animal?
Take your birth year: (year − 4) mod 12 gives the position in the cycle starting from Rat. But if you were born in January or early February, the previous year's animal may apply — the zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year.
What is my animal if I was born in February?
It depends on that year's Chinese New Year date, which moves between 21 January and 20 February. Check the specific year.
Which animal is 2026?
2026 is the year of the Horse (from 17 February 2026, when the New Year begins).