Chinese Zodiac Calculator
The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year repeating cycle where each year is associated with one of twelve animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Your birth year determines your animal sign, which is believed to influence personality traits, compatibility, and fortune throughout your life.
In addition to the 12-animal cycle, the Chinese calendar also tracks a 10-year Heavenly Stem cycle that produces five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water — each appearing in a yin and yang form. Combined, these two cycles create a 60-year grand cycle (sexagenary cycle) that uniquely characterises every year with both an animal and an element.
How it works
Animal index = ((year − 4) mod 12 + 12) mod 12, where index 0 = Rat, 1 = Ox, … 11 = Pig. Element index = floor(((year − 4) mod 10 + 10) mod 10 / 2), where 0 = Wood, 1 = Fire, 2 = Earth, 3 = Metal, 4 = Water.
Use cases
- Discovering your own Chinese zodiac animal and element
- Finding compatibility between partners based on zodiac animals
- Planning celebrations or gift ideas around zodiac symbolism
- Learning about Chinese cultural traditions and astrology
- Checking the zodiac sign for any historical or future year
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my Chinese zodiac animal?
Your animal is determined by your birth year within the repeating 12-year cycle, computed as ((year − 4) mod 12), where 0 = Rat and 11 = Pig. For example, 2000 maps to the Dragon and 1990 to the Horse. Enter any birth year in this calculator to get the animal and its associated element instantly.
What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in order?
The cycle runs Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig, then repeats every 12 years. Each animal is traditionally associated with certain personality traits and compatibility patterns. Because the cycle is fixed, adding or subtracting 12 from any year gives the same animal.
I was born in January or February — could my Chinese zodiac sign be different?
Possibly. The traditional zodiac follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar, whose new year falls between late January and mid-February. This calculator maps signs by Western calendar year, so people born in January or early February before Chinese New Year traditionally belong to the previous year's animal. Check the exact Chinese New Year date for your birth year if you fall in that window.
What are the five elements of the Chinese zodiac?
The five elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, drawn from the 10-year Heavenly Stem cycle, with each element covering two consecutive years (a yin and a yang form). Combined with the 12 animals, this produces the 60-year sexagenary cycle, so a specific pairing like Metal Rat returns only once every 60 years.
Is the Chinese zodiac scientifically accurate?
No — there is no scientific evidence that birth year determines personality, compatibility, or fortune. The Chinese zodiac is a rich cultural tradition more than 2,000 years old, and this calculator is meant for cultural learning and entertainment. Enjoy the results as a fun way to explore the tradition rather than as life guidance.