The 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs
Explore the twelve zodiac animals, their traditional associations, and the Chinese New Year boundary used to identify your zodiac year.
Rat
Quick-witted, resourceful, versatile, and kind
Ox
Diligent, dependable, strong, and determined
Tiger
Brave, confident, competitive, and unpredictable
Rabbit
Quiet, elegant, kind, and responsible
Dragon
Confident, intelligent, enthusiastic, and charismatic
Snake
Wise, enigmatic, intuitive, and refined
Horse
Animated, active, energetic, and freedom-loving
Goat
Calm, gentle, sympathetic, and creative
Monkey
Sharp, smart, curious, and mischievous
Rooster
Observant, hardworking, courageous, and talented
Dog
Loyal, honest, amiable, kind, and cautious
Pig
Compassionate, generous, diligent, and loving
About Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao (生肖), is a 12-year cycle where each year is represented by an animal and its reputed attributes. The 12 animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
Unlike Western astrology based on months, Chinese zodiac signs are determined by birth year. The zodiac year traditionally begins at Chinese New Year (春节), which falls between late January and mid-February each year.
The Five Elements (五行)
Each animal has a traditional fixed association with one of five elements: Metal (金), Wood (木), Water (水), Fire (火), and Earth (土). This is separate from the element of a birth year: birth-year elements repeat in a 60-year cycle and depend on the zodiac year determined by Chinese New Year.
Use the five-element guide to see how the year element and animal work together.
Yin and Yang (阴阳)
The zodiac animals alternate between Yin (feminine, passive) and Yang (masculine, active) energies. This balance is fundamental to Chinese philosophy and affects how different signs interact with each other.