Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Your birth year
The Chinese zodiac follows the lunar year, not January 1. If you were born in January or early February, your sign may be the previous year’s animal — check the Lunar New Year date for your birth year.
Example: born in 1990 → Horse, Metal element — the Metal Horse.
Behind the numbers
How your Chinese zodiac sign is found
The Chinese zodiac runs on a 12-year cycle of animals — Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig — paired with a 10-year cycle of five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Together they make a 60-year cycle, so your exact sign-and-element combination only repeats once every 60 years.
For 1990: (1990 − 4) ÷ 12 leaves a remainder of 6, which is the Horse, and (1990 − 4) ÷ 10 leaves a remainder of 6, which is Metal. So 1990 is the year of the Metal Horse.
The full cycle
All 12 animals and their elements
Each animal returns every 12 years, and its element changes each time. The table shows the most recent year of each sign.
| Animal | Most recent year | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | 2020 | Metal |
| Ox | 2021 | Metal |
| Tiger | 2022 | Water |
| Rabbit | 2023 | Water |
| Dragon | 2024 | Wood |
| Snake | 2025 | Wood |
| Horse | 2026 | Fire |
| Goat | 2015 | Wood |
| Monkey | 2016 | Fire |
| Rooster | 2017 | Fire |
| Dog | 2018 | Earth |
| Pig | 2019 | Earth |
Make the most of your sign.
Your sign is set by the lunar year, so January and early-February birthdays belong to the previous year’s animal until Lunar New Year arrives.
The element adds a second layer: two people born 12 years apart share an animal but have different elements, and a different personality in tradition.
Your “Ben Ming Nian” — the year of your own animal — comes around every 12 years. In tradition it is a year to take extra care and wear something red for luck.
This is entertainment and tradition, not astrology advice: enjoy the stories, but don’t make real decisions based on a zodiac sign.
Good to know
Your Chinese zodiac questions, answered.
How is my Chinese zodiac sign determined?
By your birth year in the 12-year animal cycle: (year − 4) mod 12 gives the animal, starting with Rat at remainder 0. The cycle follows the lunar calendar, so if you were born in January or early February, check whether Lunar New Year had passed yet — if not, your sign is the previous year’s animal.
What is my element?
Your element comes from the 10-year cycle: (year − 4) mod 10. Remainders 0–1 are Wood, 2–3 are Fire, 4–5 are Earth, 6–7 are Metal and 8–9 are Water. For 1990 the remainder is 6, so the element is Metal.
When is the next Year of the Horse?
Horse years repeat every 12 years: 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 and 2038. The element changes each time, so 2026 is a Fire Horse while 1990 was a Metal Horse.
Is the Chinese zodiac the same as the Western zodiac?
No. The Western zodiac is based on your birth month and the sun’s position, with 12 signs that change roughly every month. The Chinese zodiac is based on your birth year in a 12-year animal cycle, paired with one of five elements.