What Is My Chinese Zodiac?
Enter your birthday and we'll find your Chinese zodiac animal — checked against the exact Chinese New Year date for your year, so early-year birthdays come out right.
- ✓ Chinese New Year boundaries from Hong Kong Observatory tables
- ✓ Covers 1924–2036 birthdays
- ✓ Your birthday never leaves this check — not in URLs, not stored
Find my Chinese zodiac sign
What is the Chinese zodiac?
The Chinese zodiac (shengxiao, 生肖) gives every year one of twelve animals in a fixed cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Each animal matches one of the twelve earthly branches used in the traditional Chinese calendar, so the cycle repeats every twelve years.
Your sign comes from the year you were born, but the zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20. That one detail is why so many lists get early-year birthdays wrong, and it's the detail this site gets right.
Read: how Chinese New Year decides your sign →How to find your Chinese zodiac sign
- 01
Enter your birthday
Month, day and year — nothing else. No name, time or city needed.
- 02
We check the New Year boundary
Your date is compared with the Chinese New Year start and end dates for that year.
- 03
Get your sign and its dates
See your animal, the Chinese zodiac year it belongs to and exactly when that year ran.
Five free Chinese zodiac tools, one consistent calendar
Every Chinese zodiac tool here uses the same verified Chinese New Year table and the same rule set, so your sign, horoscope, matches and Tai Sui never contradict each other.
The 12 Chinese zodiac signs and their years
Years shown are Chinese zodiac years. If your birthday is in January or February, use the form above to check.
Rat 鼠
resourceful · quick-witted · adaptable
1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Ox 牛
steady · dependable · patient
1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Tiger 虎
brave · spirited · protective
1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Rabbit 兔
gentle · tactful · refined
1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Dragon 龙
ambitious · charismatic · energetic
1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Snake 蛇
thoughtful · perceptive · composed
1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Horse 马
free-spirited · lively · independent
1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Monkey 猴
inventive · playful · clever
1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Rooster 鸡
observant · organized · candid
1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Dog 狗
loyal · fair-minded · sincere
1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Pig 猪
generous · warm-hearted · easygoing
1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
What makes this Chinese zodiac finder different
- 1
Verified New Year dates
Every boundary from 1924 to 2036 comes from Hong Kong Observatory conversion tables, with regression tests on the tricky days.
- 2
Readings that don’t change on refresh
Daily, weekly and yearly horoscopes are written once per edition and dated. Everyone with your sign sees the same text.
- 3
Traditional relationships, no fake scores
Compatibility and Tai Sui show the actual harmony, clash, harm, break and punishment patterns, with the reason for each.
- 4
Private by design
No sign-up needed. Birthdays are never put in URLs or stored; only your sign can be remembered in your own browser.
Chinese zodiac example scenarios
Illustrative examples of how people use the Chinese zodiac tools — not customer reviews.
A list said “1987 = Rabbit”. The finder shows Chinese New Year 1987 was January 29, so this birthday is a Tiger.Try it →
A family expecting a baby in early February 2027 checks the date: up to Feb 5 is a Horse, from Feb 6 a Goat.Try it →
The compatibility tool shows a clash and a punishment tag, plus practical work tips — without a made-up percentage.Try it →
From the Chinese zodiac guide
All articles →
Year of the Tiger: Tiger Zodiac Years, Dates, Traits and Compatibility
Every Year of the Tiger from 1924 to 2035 with exact Chinese New Year start and end dates, plus Tiger traits, best matches, clashes and Tai Sui in 2026 and 2027.
Year of the Snake: Snake Zodiac Years, Dates, Traits and Compatibility
Every Year of the Snake from 1924 to 2035 with exact Chinese New Year start and end dates, plus Snake traits, best matches, clashes and Tai Sui in 2026 and 2027.
Year of the Rooster: Rooster Zodiac Years, Dates, Traits and Compatibility
Every Year of the Rooster from 1924 to 2035 with exact Chinese New Year start and end dates, plus Rooster traits, best matches, clashes and Tai Sui in 2026 and 2027.
Chinese zodiac year, not a full birth chart
This site answers one question well: which animal year you were born in, using the Chinese New Year boundary. Four Pillars (Bazi) readings use the solar term Lichun, your birth hour and place — that's a different tool and we don't mix the two.
Frequently asked questions
+Why does my January or February birthday give a different animal?
The zodiac year starts on Chinese New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20. If you were born before that date, you belong to the previous zodiac year. That is why simple year charts often get early-year birthdays wrong.
+Do you use Chinese New Year or Lichun (Start of Spring)?
Chinese New Year. Lichun-based year changes are used in Four Pillars (Bazi) charts, which are a different system. This site keeps one fixed rule so every page gives the same answer.
+Where do the dates come from?
From the Hong Kong Observatory Gregorian–Lunar calendar conversion tables. We currently cover birthdays from February 5, 1924 to January 27, 2036.
+Do you store my birthday?
No. Your birthday is checked once and is never put in the page address, saved in a database or sent to analytics. Only your sign (for example “Goat”) can be remembered in your own browser.
+Does time zone matter?
No. We use the calendar date you were born on, exactly as written on your birth certificate. The same date gives the same sign everywhere.
+Is this a fortune-telling or Bazi tool?
No. It tells you your zodiac year sign and shares cultural background. It does not calculate a full birth chart or predict events.
Find your Chinese zodiac sign in ten seconds
Your Chinese zodiac sign, free, private and checked against the real Chinese New Year date for your birth year.
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