How the Chinese Zodiac Works (Plain-English Guide)
The Chinese zodiac assigns an animal to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. Your sign is set by the lunar year you were born in.
The lunar year does not begin on January 1. It begins on Chinese New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20. Anyone born before that date takes the previous year's animal. Our calculator does this check for you.
The five elements
Running alongside the animals is a 10-year cycle of five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water — each lasting two years. Combined with the 12 animals, this creates a 60-year "sexagenary" cycle, so a Wood Rat year comes round only once every 60 years.
Yin and Yang
Each animal is fixed as either Yang (Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Dog) or Yin (Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Goat, Rooster, Pig). This adds nuance to the element-animal pairing, giving descriptions like "Yin Water Rabbit".
What it is used for
Traditionally the zodiac is used for compatibility between partners and business associates, choosing wedding dates, and the běnmìngnián — your "zodiac year of birth", which comes round every 12 years and is considered a year to be careful.