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Chinese Zodiac Calculator

Discover your Chinese zodiac animal and element, and check your compatibility with someone else.

Your Chinese zodiac sign is determined by the lunar year you were born in, based on a 12-year cycle of animals, combined with one of five elements on a 10-year cycle — a full combination that repeats only once every 60 years. Note: if you were born in January or early February, your zodiac year may differ from your birth year, since the Chinese lunar new year falls on a different date each year. Enter your exact birth date below for an accurate result.

Enter your birth date

Your Date of Birth *

About the Chinese zodiac

The Chinese zodiac assigns one of twelve animals — Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig — to each lunar year in a repeating 12-year cycle. Layered on top of this is a five-element cycle — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water — that combines with each animal to create a fuller, more specific 60-year cycle.

Unlike Western astrology, which is based on the sun's position, the Chinese zodiac is calculated from your birth year — but importantly, the lunar year, which starts on Chinese New Year (a date that shifts each year, always falling between late January and mid-February), not January 1st. This means people born early in the calendar year sometimes belong to the previous year's animal.

How your Chinese zodiac is calculated

1

Enter your exact birth date

Your full birth date matters here, not just your birth year, because of the Chinese New Year cutoff.

2

We determine your correct lunar year

We check whether your birth date falls before or after that year's Chinese New Year to determine your accurate zodiac year.

3

Discover your animal, element, and full meaning

Your results page reveals your Chinese zodiac animal, your element, and what your full combination means.

Ready to discover your Chinese zodiac sign?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig — each associated with a specific year in a repeating 12-year cycle, and traditionally believed to shape personality traits.
Because the Chinese zodiac year starts on Chinese New Year, which falls on a different date each year (between late January and mid-February), not on January 1st. If you were born early in the calendar year, before that year's Chinese New Year date, you actually belong to the previous lunar year's animal.
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water — a five-element cycle that combines with each of the twelve animals to create a fuller, more specific 60-year cycle, giving each combination (like "Metal Rat" or "Wood Tiger") a more nuanced traditional meaning.
Traditional Chinese astrology groups the twelve animals into four "trine" groups of three naturally harmonious animals each, and identifies six "clash" pairs of naturally conflicting animals. Enter a second birth date to see how your animal relates to someone else's.
No — this is a symbolic, traditional framework with deep cultural roots, not a scientifically validated system. It's designed for reflection, cultural connection, and enjoyment.
Just a few seconds — enter your birth date and get your result immediately.

Explore all twelve animals

Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig

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The Chinese zodiac is a symbolic, traditional framework with deep cultural roots, not a scientifically validated predictive system. This calculator is provided for reflection and cultural connection.