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Chinese Zodiac Calculator

Find your Chinese zodiac animal and element from your birth year. Includes traits, lucky colors, and compatibility.

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Chinese Zodiac Calculator

Generated on April 25, 2026

Note: the Chinese zodiac year starts on Lunar New Year (Jan 21–Feb 20), not Jan 1. If your birthday is in January or early February, check the actual lunar date for that year.

Year of the Rat
Fire Rat · 1996
Quick-witted, resourceful, charming, ambitious
Zodiac wheel — your sign is highlighted
🐀Rat🐂Ox🐅Tiger🐇Rabbit🐉Dragon🐍Snake🐎Horse🐐Goat🐒Monkey🐓Rooster🐕Dog🐖Pig🐀Rat

Element: Fire

The 12 zodiac animals combine with 5 elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) on a 60-year cycle. Years ending in 6 or 7 are Fire years.

Lucky / Unlucky

Lucky colors: Blue, gold, green
Avoid: Yellow, brown

Compatibility

Best matches
🐉 Dragon🐒 Monkey🐂 Ox
Conflicts
🐎 Horse🐐 Goat
The Chinese zodiac (生肖, shēngxiào) is a 12-year cycle from Han Dynasty astronomy combined with the 5-element 10-year cycle, giving a unique sign every 60 years. Used in East Asian culture and astrology.

?What is the Chinese Zodiac Calculator?

The Chinese Zodiac (生肖, shēngxiào) is a 12-year repeating cycle that assigns one of twelve animals to each year — Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each animal carries traditional personality traits, lucky colors, and compatibility with other signs. Combined with the 5-element cycle (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), the full system produces a unique sign every 60 years (the 甲子 jiǎzǐ cycle). Used across China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and the global diaspora for personality interpretation, compatibility, and fortune-telling — and as a basis for major celebrations like Lunar New Year.

The Formula

Animal = (year − 1900) mod 12. Element = year mod 10 → Wood (4-5) / Fire (6-7) / Earth (8-9) / Metal (0-1) / Water (2-3).

Practical Examples

1

1996 → (1996 − 1900) mod 12 = 96 mod 12 = 0 → Rat. Last digit 6 → Fire. = Fire Rat.

2

2024 → 124 mod 12 = 4 → Dragon. Last digit 4 → Wood. = Wood Dragon (a particularly auspicious year).

3

Born in January or early February? Check whether your birthday falls before or after Lunar New Year (Jan 21–Feb 20) — if before, you're the previous year's animal.

4

Lunar New Year 2025 = Jan 29 → starts the Year of the Wood Snake.

5

Your sign repeats every 12 years. Your full element + animal repeats every 60 years (1 jiǎzǐ cycle).

Frequently Asked Questions

The Chinese zodiac year starts on Lunar New Year (January 21 to February 20 in the Gregorian calendar, varies yearly), not January 1. If your birthday is in January or early February, you may be the previous year's animal. Check the Lunar New Year date for your birth year.

Popular Conversions

Jump to a ready-made conversion — useful for quick reference and sharing:

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