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Chinese Zodiac Elements by Year: Find Your Element

Quick answer: your Chinese zodiac element comes from the last digit of your birth year: 0–1 Metal, 2–3 Water, 4–5 Wood, 6–7 Fire, 8–9 Earth. Even years are Yang, odd years are Yin. Born in January or early February? Check the Chinese New Year date for your year first, because you may belong to the year before.

In Chinese astrology every year has an animal and an element. The five elements, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, turn in a fixed order, and each one appears twice in a row, once Yang and once Yin. That is why 1990 is a Metal Horse and 1991 a Metal Goat. Find your year below, or enter your birth date.

查询Find your animal and element

性格What each element says about you

金 Metal (years ending in 0 or 1)

Determined, principled and self-disciplined. Metal people hold high standards and keep their word, and can be hard to move once decided.

水 Water (years ending in 2 or 3)

Intuitive, adaptable and diplomatic. Water people read situations well and find a way around obstacles rather than through them.

木 Wood (years ending in 4 or 5)

Generous, idealistic and growth-minded. Wood people like to build, teach and cooperate, and have a strong sense of fairness.

火 Fire (years ending in 6 or 7)

Passionate, expressive and quick to act. Fire people bring warmth and energy and like to lead, but can burn out.

土 Earth (years ending in 8 or 9)

Steady, practical and patient. Earth people are reliable and caring, the ones others lean on, and prefer slow, solid progress.

相生How the elements work together

Generating cycle: Wood feeds Fire, Fire makes Earth (ash), Earth bears Metal, Metal carries Water (condensation), Water nourishes Wood. Controlling cycle: Wood parts Earth, Earth dams Water, Water puts out Fire, Fire melts Metal, Metal cuts Wood. Chinese astrology uses these two cycles to read how people, and years, affect each other. 2027 is a Fire year, so it tends to feed Earth people and test Metal people.

日主Your year element is not your whole story

The year element is shared by everyone born that year. In BaZi (Four Pillars) astrology, the element that describes you personally is your Day Master, the Heavenly Stem of your birth day. A Metal Horse born in 1990 might have a Water, Wood or Fire Day Master. A full chart has eight characters, and their balance matters more than any single one.

年表Chinese zodiac animals and elements, 1930–2026

Each year starts on the Chinese New Year date shown. Click a year for its full profile.

Data: Chinese New Year dates from Hong Kong Observatory-based tables. Download the full dataset (CC BY 4.0).

Sign guides: Rat · Ox · Tiger · Rabbit · Dragon · Snake · Horse · Goat · Monkey · Rooster · Dog · Pig

问答Questions about Chinese zodiac elements