Chinese Zodiac Years: Complete Chart 1924–2035

Look up your birth year in the chart above, then check if your birthday falls before that year's Chinese New Year date. If it does, your sign is the previous year's animal. For example, someone born January 15, 1990 would check the 1989 column, because the 1990 Chinese New Year didn't begin until January 27. You can also use our Zodiac Analyzer for an instant result.

The Chinese zodiac follows the lunisolar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar. Each zodiac year begins on Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), which falls on the second new moon after the Winter Solstice — anywhere from January 21 to February 20. This is why people born in January or early February need to check the exact CNY date for their birth year.

The sexagenary cycle (六十甲子) combines 10 Heavenly Stems with 12 Earthly Branches to produce 60 unique year combinations. Each combination recurs only once every 60 years. This is why a 60th birthday is celebrated as a major life milestone in Chinese culture — it marks a complete cosmic cycle. The current cycle began in 1984 (甲子) and will end in 2043 (癸亥).

2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse (丙午). The Fire Horse is one of the rarest and most powerful combinations in the 60-year cycle, occurring only once every six decades. The 2026 Fire Horse year begins on February 17, 2026. See full year analysis →

You must check the exact Chinese New Year date for your birth year (listed in the chart above). If your birthday falls before that date, you belong to the previous year's zodiac animal. For example, someone born February 1, 2024 belongs to the Snake sign, because the 2024 Chinese New Year (start of the Dragon year) was February 10. Use the Zodiac Analyzer for a precise determination.

No. Western astrology assigns signs by month (based on the sun's position against constellations), while the Chinese zodiac assigns animals by birth year. Western signs change monthly; Chinese signs change yearly. The Chinese system also incorporates month, day, and hour pillars in its advanced form — see the BaZi Calculator for a complete four-pillar chart.

In Chinese culture, your own zodiac year (本命年, Běn Mìng Nián) is paradoxically considered challenging rather than lucky — you're advised to wear red for protection. The luckiest years are typically those that harmonize with your animal through the Three Harmonies (三合) or Six Harmonies (六合). Learn more in our Benmingnian Guide.

Chinese New Year (lunar calendar, Jan 21–Feb 20) is the standard zodiac boundary for everyday use. Lichun (立春, Start of Spring, ~February 4) is the solar term boundary used in BaZi (Four Pillars) astrology. For most people born after mid-February, both systems give the same sign. For those born in late January to early February, the two systems can disagree. Use the BaZi Calculator for BaZi-specific calculations.

The Gan-Zhi (Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches) system is the traditional Chinese method of naming years. Each year gets one of 10 Stems (carrying an element + yin/yang) paired with one of 12 Branches (carrying an animal), producing the 60-year cycle. For example, 2026 is 丙午 (Bǐng Wǔ): 丙 = Yang Fire Stem, 午 = Horse Branch. Learn more about Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

The Fire Horse (丙午) occurs only once every 60 years. In East Asian folklore, Fire Horse women are believed to be exceptionally passionate, independent, and strong-willed. This was so widely believed that Japan's birth rate dropped by over 25% in 1966 (the last Fire Horse year). The next Fire Horse year is 2026. Read the full analysis →