Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Find your Chinese zodiac animal and element from your birthday, using the exact Chinese New Year date (or Lichun) for 1900–2100, with yin-yang, best and worst matches.
Born before the new year began, so you belong to the previous year's animal.
Chinese New Year dates follow the published Chinese calendar (China Standard Time, UTC+8). Korea (UTC+9) occasionally starts the year one day later and Vietnam (UTC+7) one day earlier; in Vietnam the Cat replaces the Rabbit and the Buffalo the Ox.
| Year | Sign | Stem-branch | Chinese New Year period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,905 | Wood Snake | 乙巳 | 1905-02-04 – 1906-01-24 |
| 1,917 | Fire Snake | 丁巳 | 1917-01-23 – 1918-02-10 |
| 1,929 | Earth Snake | 己巳 | 1929-02-10 – 1930-01-29 |
| 1,941 | Metal Snake | 辛巳 | 1941-01-27 – 1942-02-14 |
| 1,953 | Water Snake | 癸巳 | 1953-02-14 – 1954-02-02 |
| 1,965 | Wood Snake | 乙巳 | 1965-02-02 – 1966-01-20 |
| 1,977 | Fire Snake | 丁巳 | 1977-02-18 – 1978-02-06 |
| 1,989 | Earth Snake | 己巳 | 1989-02-06 – 1990-01-26 |
| 2,001 | Metal Snake | 辛巳 | 2001-01-24 – 2002-02-11 |
| 2,013 | Water Snake | 癸巳 | 2013-02-10 – 2014-01-30 |
| 2,025 | Wood Snake | 乙巳 | 2025-01-29 – 2026-02-16 |
| 2,037 | Fire Snake | 丁巳 | 2037-02-15 – 2038-02-03 |
| 2,049 | Earth Snake | 己巳 | 2049-02-02 – 2050-01-22 |
| 2,061 | Metal Snake | 辛巳 | 2061-01-21 – 2062-02-08 |
| 2,073 | Water Snake | 癸巳 | 2073-02-07 – 2074-01-26 |
| 2,085 | Wood Snake | 乙巳 | 2085-01-26 – 2086-02-13 |
| 2,097 | Fire Snake | 丁巳 | 2097-02-12 – 2098-01-31 |
The Chinese zodiac assigns each lunar year one of twelve animals — Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig — and one of five elements, giving a 60-year cycle such as 2026, the year of the Fire Horse. The year changes at Chinese New Year, which moves between 21 January and 20 February, so a January or February birthday can belong to the previous animal. This calculator uses the actual new-year date for every year from 1900 to 2100.
How to use this tool
- Enter your birth date.
- Keep “Chinese New Year” for the everyday zodiac, or choose Lichun (used in BaZi / Four Pillars astrology) or 1 January (the Japanese eto).
- If you were born on Lichun day, add the birth time and time zone.
- Read your animal, element and yin-yang, and the years that share your sign.
Formula
Animal = (Y − 4) mod 12, Stem = (Y − 4) mod 10, Element = ⌊Stem ÷ 2⌋
Y is the Chinese year number: the Gregorian year, minus one if the date falls before that year's new year. Animals start with Rat (0), stems with jiǎ (0); stems pair into Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, even stems being yang. Chinese New Year is the second new moon after the winter solstice (third in rare leap years), dated in China Standard Time. Matches follow the traditional trines (animals four years apart), secret friends, clashes (six apart) and harms.
Example
For 20 January 1990: Chinese New Year 1990 fell on 27 January, so the date still belongs to 1989. (1989 − 4) mod 12 = 5 → Snake, and (1989 − 4) mod 10 = 5 → 己, a yin Earth stem: an Earth Snake. A baby born on 17 February 2026 — that year's New Year's Day — is a Fire Horse (丙午).
Frequently asked questions
I was born in January or February — which animal am I?
It depends on whether you were born before or after Chinese New Year that year. Enter your exact date; the result says which year you belong to and the dates that year covered.
What is the difference between Chinese New Year and Lichun?
Chinese New Year follows the Moon and moves around; Lichun (立春, start of spring) follows the Sun and falls on 3, 4 or 5 February. Everyday zodiac signs use New Year; BaZi (Four Pillars) charts use Lichun.
Are lucky numbers and colours part of the zodiac?
Each element has a traditional colour, shown with your result. Lists of lucky numbers, flowers and directions vary a lot between almanacs and websites, so they are not given here.
Sources
The animal, element and new-year dates are calendar facts; the traditional matches and personality associations are folklore shown for cultural interest and entertainment only, not relationship or any other advice. How we check our calculators · Full disclaimer
Last updated:
Page address with these inputs: https://kakao.mobile/tools/chinese-zodiac-calculator/
Cite or embed this tool
kakaoCalc. (2026, November 8). Chinese Zodiac Calculator. https://kakao.mobile/tools/chinese-zodiac-calculator/
“Chinese Zodiac Calculator.” kakaoCalc, 8 Nov. 2026, kakao.mobile/tools/chinese-zodiac-calculator/.
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