Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Find your Chinese zodiac animal by year.
Results update as you type.
How it works
The Chinese zodiac assigns one of twelve animals to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle, and this calculator finds the animal for a birth year. You enter the year, and it returns the Chinese zodiac animal. The twelve animals in order are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig, and the cycle repeats every twelve years, so people born twelve years apart share the same sign. For example, 2020, 2008, and 1996 are all Years of the Rat. In Chinese astrology, each animal is associated with particular personality traits and fortunes, and the zodiac plays a major role in Lunar New Year celebrations and cultural traditions across East Asia. One important caveat: the Chinese zodiac year follows the lunar calendar, not the Gregorian one, so the new zodiac year begins at Chinese New Year, which falls between late January and mid-February. This means people born in January or early February may belong to the previous year's animal — this calculator uses the Gregorian year for simplicity, so if you were born in that early window, check your exact birth date against the Chinese New Year date for your year. Beyond the animal, a full Chinese astrology reading also involves one of five elements. Enter your birth year to find your Chinese zodiac animal.
Animal = birth year mapped through the repeating 12-year cycle
The Chinese zodiac repeats every twelve years, with each year assigned an animal. Taking the birth year modulo twelve and mapping it to the cycle gives the animal — for example, 2020 is the Year of the Rat, which begins a new cycle.
Source:Chinese zodiac cycle
We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.
Worked example
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your values
Enter birth year.
- 2
Adjust the options
Fine-tune any options to match your situation.
- 3
Read your result
Chinese zodiac animal updates instantly as you type — no button to press.
Frequently asked questions
How does the Chinese zodiac work?
The Chinese zodiac assigns one of twelve animals to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Your animal is determined by your birth year, so people born twelve years apart share the same sign. The calculator maps your year to its animal.
What are the twelve Chinese zodiac animals?
In order, the twelve animals are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or Sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The cycle repeats every twelve years. Each animal is believed in Chinese astrology to carry distinct personality traits and to influence fortune, compatibility, and luck for those born in its year.
Does the Chinese zodiac follow the lunar calendar?
Yes. The Chinese zodiac year begins at Chinese New Year, which falls on the lunar calendar between late January and mid-February, not on January 1. So someone born in January or early February may belong to the previous year's animal. This calculator uses the Gregorian year, so check your exact date against Chinese New Year if born in that window.
Why do people born 12 years apart share a sign?
Because the zodiac cycle is exactly twelve animals long and repeats every twelve years. So 1996, 2008, and 2020 are all the Year of the Rat, and someone born in any of those years has the Rat sign. This 12-year rhythm is central to how the Chinese zodiac organizes years and to traditions built around it.
What are the five elements in Chinese astrology?
Beyond the twelve animals, Chinese astrology includes five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water — that cycle over a longer period, combining with the animals to form a 60-year cycle. So each animal appears in five elemental variations, like Metal Rat or Water Ox. A full reading considers both the animal and its element for that year.