There are 12 zodiac animals that depict the Chinese zodiac, or shengxiao (/shnng-sshyao/, “born like”). The Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig are among them, in that order.
At Chinese New Year (in January or February), Chinese zodiac years begin and end. A zodiac animal, each with its own supposed traits, represents each year in the 12-year cycle of the zodiac.
The year of the tiger, 2022, begins on February 1 and lasts through January 21 of 2023. The year 2023, which begins on January 22nd and ends on February 9th, is known as the Year of the Rabbit.
Chinese people hold that a person’s Chinese zodiac sign, which is based on their birth year, is intimately related to their horoscope, personality, and love compatibility.
An animal stands in for each year of the Chinese zodiac. You can quickly identify your zodiac sign using the table of Chinese zodiac years below.
1991, for instance, falls under the Goat sign. If you were born in 1991, the goat is your Chinese zodiac sign, and you are referred to as a “goat.”
Chinese Zodiac Years
| Chinese Zodiac Sign | Years |
|---|---|
| Rat | ...1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020… |
| Ox | …1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021… |
| Tiger | …1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022… |
| Rabbit | … 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 ... |
| Dragon | … 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 … |
| Snake | … 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 … |
| Horse | … 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 … |
| Goat | … 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 … |
| Monkey | … 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 … |
| Rooster | … 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 … |
| Dog | … 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 … |
| Pig | … 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 … |
There are two schools of thought in Chinese astrology regarding the beginning of a zodiac year: Chinese New Year or the beginning of spring.
- Chinese New Year, the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar, occurs between January 21 and February 20.
- The first of the 24 Solar Terms, the Start of Spring, starts on February 3rd or 4th.
For the vast majority of Chinese people, the zodiac year begins on Chinese New Year. Popular Chinese astrology is this. The first solar word is only employed by traditionalists and licensed astrologers.
You might therefore be an Ox or a Rat if you were born in January or February of 1997.