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Year of the Snake: Personality, Years, Elements and Compatibility
Quick answer: the Snake (蛇, Earthly Branch 巳) is sign 6 of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. Recent Snake years are 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, and the next is 2037. Snakes are known for being wise and intuitive. Best matches: Rooster, Ox and Monkey.
The Snake is the zodiac's quiet thinker. It hid on the Horse's hoof in the Great Race and slid ahead at the finish to take sixth place. Snakes are wise, intuitive and composed, and they see through appearances.
Your year animal is one of eight characters in your birth chart. See your full Four Pillars and Day Master, free.
Get your free reading性格Snake personality
| Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|
| Wise and intuitive | Secretive or guarded |
| Calm and composed | Can be possessive |
| Strategic thinker | Slow to forgive |
| Elegant and discreet |
In love. Snakes love deeply but carefully. They take time to trust, then commit with intensity and loyalty, and they appreciate a partner with depth, discretion and good taste.
At work. Snakes excel in research, strategy, psychology, finance, law, science and any work that rewards analysis and patience.
年份Year of the Snake: every year and exact dates
Each Snake year starts on Chinese New Year and ends the day before the next one. Born in January or early February? Check the dates below, or use the Chinese zodiac calculator.
| Year | Type | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Earth Snake (己巳) | Feb 10, 1929 – Jan 29, 1930 |
| 1941 | Metal Snake (辛巳) | Jan 27, 1941 – Feb 14, 1942 |
| 1953 | Water Snake (癸巳) | Feb 14, 1953 – Feb 2, 1954 |
| 1965 | Wood Snake (乙巳) | Feb 2, 1965 – Jan 20, 1966 |
| 1977 | Fire Snake (丁巳) | Feb 18, 1977 – Feb 6, 1978 |
| 1989 | Earth Snake (己巳) | Feb 6, 1989 – Jan 26, 1990 |
| 2001 | Metal Snake (辛巳) | Jan 24, 2001 – Feb 11, 2002 |
| 2013 | Water Snake (癸巳) | Feb 10, 2013 – Jan 30, 2014 |
| 2025 | Wood Snake (乙巳) | Jan 29, 2025 – Feb 16, 2026 |
| 2037 | Fire Snake (丁巳) | Feb 15, 2037 – Feb 3, 2038 |
五行The five types of Snake
The Snake comes back every 12 years, but with a different element each time, so the same element and animal repeat every 60 years. The element shades the personality:
Wood Snake: 1965, 2025
Wood adds warmth, growth and a cooperative streak, so the Snake of a Wood year tends to be generous, idealistic and good with people.
Fire Snake: 1977, 2037
Fire adds passion and drive, so the Snake of a Fire year tends to be bolder, more expressive and quicker to act than other Snakes.
Earth Snake: 1929, 1989
Earth adds stability and realism, so the Snake of an Earth year tends to be steadier, more practical and more patient than other Snakes.
Metal Snake: 1941, 2001
Metal adds determination and strength of will, so the Snake of a Metal year tends to be focused, principled and hard to discourage.
Water Snake: 1953, 2013
Water adds intuition and flexibility, so the Snake of a Water year tends to be perceptive, diplomatic and good at adapting.
See the Chinese zodiac elements table for every year.
合婚Snake compatibility with all 12 signs
| Pair | Type | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 鼠 Snake & Rat | Neutral Match | ★★★ (3/5) |
| 牛 Snake & Ox | Natural Allies (Metal Trine) | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| 虎 Snake & Tiger | Harm Pair | ★½ (1.5/5) |
| 兔 Snake & Rabbit | Neutral Match | ★★★½ (3.5/5) |
| 龙 Snake & Dragon | Neutral Match | ★★★½ (3.5/5) |
| 蛇 Snake & Snake | Same Sign | ★★★★ (4/5) |
| 马 Snake & Horse | Neutral Match | ★★★½ (3.5/5) |
| 羊 Snake & Goat | Neutral Match | ★★★½ (3.5/5) |
| 猴 Snake & Monkey | Secret Friends (Six Harmony) | ★★★★½ (4.5/5) |
| 鸡 Snake & Rooster | Natural Allies (Metal Trine) | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| 狗 Snake & Dog | Neutral Match | ★★★½ (3.5/5) |
| 猪 Snake & Pig | Opposites (Clash) | ★½ (1.5/5) |
Ratings follow classical relationships between the Earthly Branches: trine and Six Harmony pairs are the best matches, the clash sign is the most challenging. See the full compatibility chart.
地支The Snake in BaZi: Earthly Branch 巳
| Earthly Branch | 巳 (Si) |
|---|---|
| Fixed element · polarity | Fire · Yin |
| Hour | 9 am – 11 am |
| Solar month | about May 6 – Jun 5 |
| Direction · season | South-southeast · early summer |
| Hidden stems | 丙 Bing Fire · 庚 Geng Metal · 戊 Wu Earth |
In a BaZi chart the Snake can appear in any of the four pillars: the year (your generation), the month, the day or the hour. The hidden stems are the elements stored inside the branch, which is why two people with the same year animal can have very different charts.
流年The Snake in 2027
2027 is the Year of the Fire Goat. For the Snake: Fire Assembly with the Horse and Goat (巳午未会火). The spotlight finds you. Read the Year of the Snake 2027 forecast.
问答Questions about the Year of the Snake
What years are the Year of the Snake?
Recent Snake years are 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025. The next Year of the Snake is 2037, starting February 15, 2037. Each year begins at Chinese New Year, so people born in January or early February may belong to the previous sign.
What is the Snake's personality?
Snakes are known for being wise and intuitive, calm and composed and strategic thinker. Their weak spots: secretive or guarded; can be possessive; slow to forgive.
Who is the Snake most compatible with?
The Snake's best matches are the Rooster and Ox (its trine) and the Monkey (its secret friend). The most challenging match is the Pig, the sign directly opposite.
What element is the Snake?
The Snake's fixed element is Fire and it is a Yin sign. Each Snake year also has its own element from the Heavenly Stem, so there are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water Snakes.
What time of day is the Snake?
The Snake rules the double hour from 9 am – 11 am. In a BaZi chart, people born in that window have the Snake in their hour pillar.
See which element balances your chart and what your Day Master says about you. Free reading.
Get your free readingRat · Ox · Tiger · Rabbit · Dragon · Snake · Horse · Goat · Monkey · Rooster · Dog · Pig