Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Enter your birth date and get your Chinese zodiac animal, the elemental quality of that year and your personal element — with the Chinese New Year boundary handled correctly.
Your Chinese zodiac sign
How to use it
- Enter your full date of birth.
- Read your animal sign, the year element and your personal element.
- Check the boundary note to confirm the Chinese year the calculator used.
How the Chinese zodiac year works
The Chinese year begins on Chinese New Year, not on 1 January and not on the solstice. This is the single most common source of confusion, because a birthday in January or early February can belong to the previous year's animal.
The twelve animals run on a twelve-year cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Each animal also carries one of the five elements, in a sixty-year cycle, so the Rat recurs every twelve years but with a different element each time — Wood Rat, Fire Rat, Earth Rat, Metal Rat and Water Rat in turn.
The calculator applies the correct Chinese New Year date for your birth year automatically and shows you the date it used, so you can confirm the result rather than taking it on faith.
What your animal sign means
Each animal carries a set of tendencies that feng shui uses to guide colour and object choices. These are the popular associations, and they are useful shorthand rather than destiny.
| Animal | Character | Element affinity |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | Adaptable, resourceful, opportunistic | Water |
| Ox | Steady, patient, dependable | Earth |
| Tiger | Bold, direct, brave | Wood |
| Rabbit | Gentle, refined, diplomatic | Wood |
| Dragon | Ambitious, charismatic, fortunate | Earth |
| Snake | Perceptive, elegant, deliberate | Fire |
| Horse | Free-spirited, warm, restless | Fire |
| Goat | Kind, artistic, sensitive | Earth |
| Monkey | Clever, lively, versatile | Metal |
| Rooster | Precise, candid, orderly | Metal |
| Dog | Loyal, honest, principled | Earth |
| Pig | Generous, easy-going, sincere | Water |
Zodiac in feng shui practice
Two zodiac-derived figures are used in feng shui. The first is the year element, which describes the energy of your birth year and colours your personal element with a secondary influence. The second is the personal element from your birth month, which is the figure that actually guides your personal colour and direction advice.
Your zodiac animal itself is mostly a cultural and social identifier. It is not directly used in directional calculation — that comes from the kua number, which you can calculate with the eight mansions calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Chinese zodiac am I?
Enter your date of birth above. The calculator returns your animal sign and applies the correct Chinese New Year boundary for your birth year.
I was born in January. Which animal am I?
Possibly the previous one. Chinese New Year falls between 21 January and 21 February. If your birthday is before that year's Chinese New Year date, you belong to the previous Chinese year. The calculator shows you the exact date it used so you can check it against your birth date.
What is my Chinese zodiac element?
The calculator gives you both the year element (from the Heavenly Stem of your Chinese birth year) and your personal element (from your birth month). The year element is the one that appears in the animal cycle; the personal element is the one used for your own colour and direction advice.
Does my zodiac sign change my lucky colours?
Indirectly. Your personal element — from your birth month — sets your primary colour advice, and your year element adds a secondary influence. To see the full picture, run the birth element calculator as well.