Why might my zodiac animal be wrong near the New Year?

Chinese New Year falls on a different Gregorian date each year (typically late January to mid-February). This calculator maps the birth year directly rather than the exact new year cutoff date, so people born in January or early February may get a different animal than a calendar-aware chart would show.

What does the element (e.g. Metal Horse) mean?

A 10-year element cycle (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, two years per element) combines with the 12-year animal cycle to produce a full 60-year combined cycle unique to traditional Chinese astrology.

Chinese Zodiac Calculator

Find your Chinese zodiac animal and element from your birth year.

How this is calculated

Animal = 12-year cycle from the 1900 Year of the Rat; Element = 10-year cycle (2 years per element)

Assumptions used in this calculation

Simplified: Uses the Gregorian birth year, not the exact Chinese New Year cutoff date, which shifts each year.

About this calculator

The Chinese zodiac calculator finds your zodiac animal (from the 12-year cycle) and element (from the 10-year cycle) based on your birth year.

Worked example

Born in 1990

Result: Metal Horse

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Chinese Zodiac Calculator

About this calculator

Frequently asked questions

Why might my zodiac animal be wrong near the New Year?

What does the element (e.g. Metal Horse) mean?

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