Born in 1938: the Tiger
A Yang Earth Tiger 🐅
Anyone born in 1938 is an Earth Tiger. The year's traditional two-part name is 戊寅 (wùyín), number 15 in the 60-year cycle, and it is a yang year, the active, outgoing half of the cycle. The base Tiger traits (brave, confident, competitive) come filtered through a grounded, practical and patient Earth tone.
The 1938 lunar year ran from January 31, 1938 up to the day before Chinese New Year 1939 (February 19, 1939). If you were born on or after January 31, 1938 you are a Tiger; if you were born earlier in 1938, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Ox. Someone born in 1938 turns 88 in 2026 (or 87 until their birthday for the year).
Calendar note: 1938's Chinese New Year fell on a Monday, and that lunar year ran 384 days — a long, 13-month year with an inserted leap month.
What the Earth element adds
Earth is the element of the harvest, stability and realism. An Earth year makes an animal steadier and more dependable, focused on security and the long game, though it can also make it slower to change course.
The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so an Earth Tiger year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1938 was 1878, and the next is 1998. People born in it are said to combine brave and confident with the element's grounded nature. Every Tiger year is yang (the active, outgoing type). See the Earth element and the full Earth Tiger profile.
1938 at a glance
| Animal | 🐅 Tiger (虎) |
|---|---|
| Element | Earth |
| Yin or yang | yang |
| Traditional year name | 戊寅 (wùyín) |
| Place in the 60-year cycle | 15 of 60 |
| Zodiac year runs | January 31, 1938 to February 18, 1939 |
| Age in 2026 | 87–88 |
| Traditional best match | Pig |
| Traditional hardest match | Monkey |
| Lucky numbers | 1, 3, 4 |
| Lucky colors | blue, gray, orange |
Tiger compatibility
In the traditional chart, a 1938 Tiger gets on best with the Pig (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Horse and Dog. The hardest pairing is the Monkey, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Tiger compatibility table.
Where a birthday around 1938 lands
The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 1938 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.
| Birthday | Zodiac animal |
|---|---|
| January 1 to January 30, 1938 | Ox (the 1937 year) |
| January 31, 1938 to December 31, 1938 | Tiger |
| January 1, 1939 to February 18, 1939 | Tiger (still the 1938 year) |
| February 19, 1939 onward | Rabbit (the 1939 year) |
Zodiac years ahead for a 1938 Tiger
The next own-sign year for someone born in 1938 is 2034, around age 96, then 2046, around age 108. Tradition calls this your běnmìngnián. Despite being "your" year, it is thought to clash with Tài Suì (the God of Age) and to carry a higher chance of setbacks, so many people wear red through it for protection.
The element pair: 1938 and 1939
Earth years come in pairs. 1938 is the yang year and 1939 is the yin year, the Rabbit. So a 1938 Tiger and a 1939 Rabbit share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Tiger and Rabbit pairing as moderate: it has no special bond or conflict, so how well it goes depends on the two people more than on the calendar. See the Tiger and Rabbit pairing.
Other Tiger years
1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 2022 2034
Full Tiger personality profile → Tiger compatibility with every sign →
Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →
What an Earth year changes for the Tiger
Talking. The Earth element shows up in how a 1938 Tiger speaks: it gets steadier and more patient about it, in no hurry to make the point. Another element on the same animal would sound different.
Work. In 1938 the Earth element steadies and grounds the Tiger's habits at work, so this version runs things slower but with more staying power than most. It changes the style, not the choice of career.
Love. A 1938 Tiger shows affection through consistency and follow-through. That follows from the element: earth is the element of the harvest, stability and realism.
For the sign as a whole (how the Tiger communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Tiger profile. This page covers what is different about 1938.
Known Tigers
Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Penélope Cruz, Lady Gaga are among the names most often cited as Tigers, though none of them was born in the 1938 lunar year. They're referenced here as examples of the animal's brave streak generally, not proof of what a Earth Tiger specifically looks like.
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac sign is 1938?
1938 is the year of the Tiger (Earth Tiger, a yang year). Anyone born on or after January 31, 1938 is a Tiger; a birthday earlier in 1938 belongs to the previous sign, the Ox.
Which birth dates count as a 1938 Tiger?
Birthdays from January 31, 1938 to February 18, 1939 count as a Tiger (Earth Tiger). A birthday in January or early February 1938 before January 31, 1938 belongs to the Ox, and one on or after February 19, 1939 belongs to the Rabbit.
What element is the 1938 zodiac year?
1938 is an Earth-element year. Earth is the element of the harvest, stability and realism. An Earth year makes an animal steadier and more dependable, focused on security and the long game, though it can also make it slower to change course.
Who is a 1938 Tiger most compatible with?
Best matches are the Pig (the "secret friend"), plus the Horse and Dog. The hardest match is the Monkey.
Is 1938 a lucky year to be born in?
Chinese tradition does not rank whole years as lucky or unlucky to be born in — every animal has strengths and weaknesses. The one combination widely treated with caution is the Fire Horse, and 1938 is not a Fire Horse year.