Find Your Chinese Zodiac
Enter your date of birth to discover your zodiac animals.
The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals
The Chinese Zodiac (生肖, Shēngxiào) is a repeating 12-year cycle, where each year is represented by an animal. The cycle follows a fixed order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
Lunar vs Solar Zodiac: Why January & February Birthdays Are Tricky
If you were born in January or February, you may have seen conflicting results across different zodiac calculators. That's because there are two legitimate methods to determine which zodiac year you belong to:
Folklore Method (民间)
Uses Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) as the cutoff. This is what most people celebrate and what grandma says your zodiac is. The date shifts each year (late Jan to mid-Feb).
Astrology Method (命理)
Uses Li Chun (立春), the "Start of Spring" solar term, as the cutoff. This falls around February 3–5 every year. This is what professional Bazi astrologers use.
For most people born March–December, both methods give the same result. But for those born in the overlap period, you might celebrate as one animal while your astrological energy belongs to another. Our calculator shows you both.
Your Four Bazi Animals: You're Not Just One Sign
In Chinese astrology, the popular "zodiac sign" is only your Year Animal — the tip of the iceberg. The ancient Bazi (八字) system reveals that you actually have four animals, one for each pillar of your birth chart:
Your outer image, social circle, and ancestral influence. This is the one everyone knows — but it's the least personal.
Your career drive, relationship with parents, and ambition. This shapes how you pursue goals.
Your True Self. This is the most important pillar in Bazi — it represents your inner world, your spouse, and who you really are.
Your hidden desires, children, and later life. Requires your birth hour to calculate.
The Five Elements (五行, Wǔ Xíng)
Each zodiac animal is also associated with one of the Five Elements. The element adds another layer of personality and compatibility to your zodiac profile.
Want the Full Picture?
The zodiac is just the beginning. A full Bazi analysis reveals your personality, career strengths, relationship patterns, and life timing — all from your birth date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is my Chinese Zodiac sign?
Your Chinese Zodiac sign is determined by your birth year in the Chinese calendar. There are 12 animals in the cycle. If you were born in January or February, use our calculator above to check both the Folklore and Astrology methods — they may give different results.
Why do different websites give me different zodiac signs?
Different sites use different cutoff dates. Some use Lunar New Year (which shifts each year), while others use Li Chun (around Feb 3–5). Our calculator shows you both results so you can understand the difference.
What are the Four Bazi Animals?
In Bazi (Four Pillars of Destiny), you have four animals: Year (social image), Month (career), Day (true self — the most important), and Hour (hidden desires). Most zodiac calculators only show the Year animal.
Is Chinese Zodiac accurate?
The popular zodiac (Year animal only) is a very simplified version of Chinese astrology. For a more accurate and personalized reading, you need the full Bazi chart which considers all four pillars, the Five Elements, and their interactions.
What Chinese zodiac am I if born in January?
January births fall in the "gray zone" of the zodiac year. Depending on whether the calculator uses Lunar New Year or Li Chun (Start of Spring, around Feb 3-5) as the cutoff, you might be the previous year's animal. Use our calculator to see both results.
Why is my Chinese zodiac different from what I thought?
Most people grow up knowing their zodiac from the Folklore method (Lunar New Year). But if you were born in late January or early February, the professional Astrology method (Li Chun cutoff) may assign you a different animal. Both are valid — the Folklore version is cultural, the Astrology version is what Bazi masters use for chart readings.
What are the Chinese zodiac signs and years?
The 12 signs repeat every 12 years: Rat (2020, 2008, 1996...), Ox (2021, 2009, 1997...), Tiger (2022, 2010, 1998...), Rabbit (2023, 2011, 1999...), Dragon (2024, 2012, 2000...), Snake (2025, 2013, 2001...), Horse (2026, 2014, 2002...), Goat (2027, 2015, 2003...), Monkey (2028, 2016, 2004...), Rooster (2029, 2017, 2005...), Dog (2030, 2018, 2006...), Pig (2031, 2019, 2007...). For January/early February births, check both cutoff methods.
Chinese zodiac vs Western zodiac: what is the difference?
Chinese Zodiac is based on your birth year in a 12-year animal cycle. Western Zodiac is based on your birth month and day in a 12-month sign cycle. Chinese astrology goes much deeper with Bazi (Four Pillars), which considers year, month, day, and hour for a complete personality and destiny profile.