Your Chinese zodiac sign is the animal of the lunar year you were born in. The lunar year starts at Lunar New Year — between January 21 and February 20 — so if you were born in January or early February, check the date: you may belong to the previous year's animal. Someone born on January 20, 1990 is an Earth Snake, because Lunar New Year 1990 was not until January 27.
The calculator uses the date of Lunar New Year for every year from 1900 to 2100, and gives your animal, element, yin or yang, your lunar year's dates and your next zodiac year.
Worked example
Date of birth: January 20, 1990
Your Chinese zodiac sign: Earth Snake
Lunar New Year 1990 fell on January 27, so a January 20 birthday still belongs to the lunar year 1989 — the Earth Snake, not the Metal Horse of 1990.
Open this example in the calculator →How to use the Chinese Zodiac Calculator
- Enter your date of birth — the full date matters for January and February birthdays.
- Read your animal sign and element, such as Metal Horse.
- Check the dates of your lunar year and whether you were born before Lunar New Year.
- See your traditional best matches and your next zodiac year.
The twelve animals
In order, the animals are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Each rules one lunar year, and the cycle repeats every 12 years. 2026 is the Year of the Horse, starting on February 17, 2026; 2027 is the Year of the Goat, from February 6, 2027.
Elements and the 60-year cycle
Each year also has one of five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — which change every two years, and is yang (even years) or yin (odd years). Twelve animals and five elements make a 60-year cycle, so the same animal-and-element pair, such as the Fire Horse, comes round only once every 60 years: 1966, 2026, 2086.
The element follows the last digit of the lunar year: 0 or 1 is Metal, 2 or 3 Water, 4 or 5 Wood, 6 or 7 Fire, and 8 or 9 Earth.
Why January and February birthdays are tricky
Lunar New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, so it moves between January 21 and February 20. Most zodiac charts list signs by calendar year, which puts everyone born in January and early February in the wrong year. This calculator compares your birth date with that year's Lunar New Year instead. A few astrologers, especially in Four Pillars (BaZi) astrology, start the year at Lichun, the beginning of spring, around February 4 — if that is the system you follow, a birthday between the two dates can go either way.
Matches, clashes and your zodiac year
Traditionally the signs four years apart — the "trines", such as Rat, Dragon and Monkey — are thought to get on best, and the sign six years away is the clash. Your own animal's year, běnmìngnián (本命年), comes round every 12 years and is traditionally treated as a year to be careful, often by wearing red. These are cultural traditions, not predictions — enjoy them in that spirit.
Frequently asked questions
What is my Chinese zodiac sign?
The animal of the lunar year you were born in. Enter your date of birth: the calculator checks it against that year's Lunar New Year, so a January or February birthday is placed in the right year.
What Chinese zodiac is 1990?
The Metal Horse, for anyone born from January 27, 1990 to February 14, 1991. Born before January 27, 1990, you are an Earth Snake.
What is the Chinese zodiac for 2026?
The Fire Horse, from February 17, 2026 to February 5, 2027. The next Fire Horse year is 2086.
Why is my sign different from the chart I saw?
Most charts go by calendar year. The zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, so for January and early February birthdays the sign is often the previous year's animal.
What is my Chinese zodiac element?
It follows the last digit of your lunar birth year: 0–1 Metal, 2–3 Water, 4–5 Wood, 6–7 Fire, 8–9 Earth.