Born in 1985: the Ox

1985 is a yin year, a Wood Ox. In the traditional calendar it carries the two-part name 乙丑 (yǐchǒu), year 2 of the 60-year cycle. The Wood element adds a cooperative, growth-minded and quietly generous streak to the Ox's base character (dependable, patient, methodical), and this is the quieter, more reflective half of the cycle.

The 1985 lunar year ran from February 20, 1985 up to the day before Chinese New Year 1986 (February 9, 1986). If you were born on or after February 20, 1985 you are an Ox; if you were born earlier in 1985, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Rat. Someone born in 1985 turns 41 in 2026 (or 40 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 1985's Chinese New Year fell on a Wednesday, and that lunar year ran 354 days — an ordinary 12-month lunar year.

What the Wood element adds

Wood is the element of spring, growth and cooperation. A Wood year tends to soften an animal's sharper edges and push it toward teamwork, patience and building things that last rather than chasing quick wins.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Wood Ox year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1985 was 1925, and the next is 2045. People born in it are said to combine dependable and patient with the element's cooperative nature. Every Ox year is yin (the quieter, inward type). See the Wood element and the full Wood Ox profile.

1985 at a glance

Animal	🐂 Ox (牛)
Element	Wood
Yin or yang	yin
Traditional year name	乙丑 (yǐchǒu)
Place in the 60-year cycle	2 of 60
Zodiac year runs	February 20, 1985 to February 8, 1986
Age in 2026	40–41
Traditional best match	Rat
Traditional hardest match	Goat
Lucky numbers	1, 4
Lucky colors	white, yellow, green

Ox compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 1985 Ox gets on best with the Rat (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Snake and Rooster. The hardest pairing is the Goat, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Ox compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 1985 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 1985 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to February 19, 1985	Rat (the 1984 year)
February 20, 1985 to December 31, 1985	Ox
January 1, 1986 to February 8, 1986	Ox (still the 1985 year)
February 9, 1986 onward	Tiger (the 1986 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 1985 Ox

The next own-sign year for someone born in 1985 is 2033, around age 48, then 2045, around age 60. 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: 1985 and 1984

Wood years come in pairs. 1985 is the yin year and 1984 is the yang year, the Rat. So a 1985 Ox and a 1984 Rat share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Ox and Rat pairing as excellent: one of the six classic 'secret friend' pairings — a naturally supportive, stabilizing match. See the Ox and Rat pairing.

Other Ox years

1937 1949 1961 1973 1997 2009 2021 2033

Full Ox personality profile →   Ox compatibility with every sign →

Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →

What a Wood year changes for the Ox

Talking. In conversation, a Wood Ox leans further into action, saying yes before thinking it all the way through, which is the main way 1985's version differs from the same animal born under another element.

Work. Wood softens and adds patience to the Ox's usual working style, so a 1985 Ox tends to run things with more willingness to cooperate than most. The kind of work the sign suits stays the same; the element changes how the job gets done.

Love. Wood is the element of spring, growth and cooperation, so in a relationship a Wood Ox shows affection through steady cooperation over time.

For the sign as a whole (how the Ox communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Ox profile. This page covers what is different about 1985.

Known Oxs

Well-known Oxs — sharing the animal though not this exact 1985 birth year or Wood element — include Barack Obama, Meryl Streep, Eddie Murphy, Peter Jackson. None of the people listed here were born in the 1985 lunar year, but they're commonly cited as examples of the Ox's dependable streak.