
A lot of people search “What is my Chinese zodiac sign?” because they know their birth year, but the animal sign doesn’t always come to mind right away. The good news is that your Chinese Zodiac sign is usually easy to confirm once you understand one key detail about how the zodiac year begins.
Main Explanation
How the Chinese Zodiac Works (Birth-Year Animal Sign)
The Chinese Zodiac is a 12-animal cycle used across East Asian traditions. Your “animal sign” is primarily based on your birth year, and the animals repeat in the same order every 12 years:
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (Sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig
For most people, checking the birth year is enough to find the correct sign. However, there’s one common situation where people get mixed results.
January–Early February Birthdays: The One Detail That Can Change Your Sign
If you were born in January or early February, your zodiac sign may depend on whether you were born before or after the Lunar New Year in that year.
- Many everyday charts and traditions follow the Lunar New Year (not January 1).
- Some fortune-telling or traditional calendar systems may use “Start of Spring” (often called Lichun) as the cutoff instead.
What to do if you were born in January or early February:
- First, check the Lunar New Year date for your birth year.
- If your birthday is before that date, you may be counted as the previous year’s animal sign in Lunar New Year–based systems.
- If you’re comparing results from different sources and they don’t match, it’s often because one source uses Lunar New Year and another uses Start of Spring.
Chinese Zodiac by Birth Year Chart (1950–2035)
Use the chart below to find your birth year and matching animal sign.
1950s
1950 Tiger
1951 Rabbit
1952 Dragon
1953 Snake
1954 Horse
1955 Goat (Sheep)
1956 Monkey
1957 Rooster
1958 Dog
1959 Pig
1960s
1960 Rat
1961 Ox
1962 Tiger
1963 Rabbit
1964 Dragon
1965 Snake
1966 Horse
1967 Goat (Sheep)
1968 Monkey
1969 Rooster
1970s
1970 Dog
1971 Pig
1972 Rat
1973 Ox
1974 Tiger
1975 Rabbit
1976 Dragon
1977 Snake
1978 Horse
1979 Goat (Sheep)
1980s
1980 Monkey
1981 Rooster
1982 Dog
1983 Pig
1984 Rat
1985 Ox
1986 Tiger
1987 Rabbit
1988 Dragon
1989 Snake
1990s
1990 Horse
1991 Goat (Sheep)
1992 Monkey
1993 Rooster
1994 Dog
1995 Pig
1996 Rat
1997 Ox
1998 Tiger
1999 Rabbit
2000s
2000 Dragon
2001 Snake
2002 Horse
2003 Goat (Sheep)
2004 Monkey
2005 Rooster
2006 Dog
2007 Pig
2008 Rat
2009 Ox
2010s
2010 Tiger
2011 Rabbit
2012 Dragon
2013 Snake
2014 Horse
2015 Goat (Sheep)
2016 Monkey
2017 Rooster
2018 Dog
2019 Pig
2020s
2020 Rat
2021 Ox
2022 Tiger
2023 Rabbit
2024 Dragon
2025 Snake
2026 Horse
2027 Goat (Sheep)
2028 Monkey
2029 Rooster
2030s (through 2035)
2030 Dog
2031 Pig
2032 Rat
2033 Ox
2034 Tiger
2035 Rabbit
Reverse Lookup: Find Years for Each Animal Sign (Handy Quick Check)
If you’re thinking, “Am I really a Dragon?” or “Which years are Rat years?” this list helps you double-check quickly (especially useful for commonly searched ranges).
Rat: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Ox: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Tiger: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Rabbit: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Dragon: 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Snake: 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Horse: 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Goat (Sheep): 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Monkey: 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Rooster: 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Dog: 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Pig: 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Common Questions or Concerns
“I was born in 2000. Am I a Dragon?”
In most cases, yes—2000 is widely listed as a Dragon year. But if you were born in January or early February, your sign may shift depending on whether you were born before the Lunar New Year (or before Start of Spring in some systems).
“Why does my sign look different on another site or in a fortune reading?”
This usually happens because different sources use different cutoff dates:
- Lunar New Year cutoff (common in everyday use)
- Start of Spring cutoff (used in some traditional calendar-based readings)
“My friend and I were born the same year but got different answers—how is that possible?”
If one of you was born near the start of the year, the cutoff date is the most likely reason. Double-check the Lunar New Year date (and be aware that some methods use Start of Spring instead).
Practical Tips and General Guidance
- If you were born March–December, the birth-year chart will almost always match what most sources show.
- If you were born in January or early February, check whether your birthday falls before or after the Lunar New Year in your birth year.
- If you’re using your zodiac sign for compatibility, personality themes, or general interest, it’s fine to stick with the Lunar New Year method for consistency.
- If you’re comparing results from different traditions, write down the cutoff method each one uses—many “conflicts” are simply different calendars.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and reflects common ways people identify Chinese Zodiac animal signs by birth year. Individual interpretations may vary depending on the calendar system used (such as Lunar New Year versus Start of Spring) and personal context. If you need a precise traditional calendar-based reading, consider consulting a qualified professional familiar with the specific method you’re using.































