Born in 1999: the Rabbit

Earth Rabbit is the full name of the 1999 sign. Its traditional two-part year name is 己卯 (jǐmǎo), which puts it at number 16 of 60, and 1999 is a yin year, the cycle's quieter, more reflective half. Expect the Rabbit's usual traits (gentle, tactful, observant) with a grounded, practical and patient edge from the Earth element.

The 1999 lunar year ran from February 16, 1999 up to the day before Chinese New Year 2000 (February 5, 2000). If you were born on or after February 16, 1999 you are a Rabbit; if you were born earlier in 1999, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Tiger. Someone born in 1999 turns 27 in 2026 (or 26 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 1999's Chinese New Year fell on a Tuesday, and that lunar year ran 354 days — an ordinary 12-month lunar year.

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 Rabbit year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1999 was 1939, and the next is 2059. People born in it are said to combine gentle and tactful with the element's grounded nature. Every Rabbit year is yin (the quieter, inward type). See the Earth element and the full Earth Rabbit profile.

1999 at a glance

Animal	🐇 Rabbit (兔)
Element	Earth
Yin or yang	yin
Traditional year name	己卯 (jǐmǎo)
Place in the 60-year cycle	16 of 60
Zodiac year runs	February 16, 1999 to February 4, 2000
Age in 2026	26–27
Traditional best match	Dog
Traditional hardest match	Rooster
Lucky numbers	3, 4, 6
Lucky colors	pink, red, purple, blue

Rabbit compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 1999 Rabbit gets on best with the Dog (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Goat and Pig. The hardest pairing is the Rooster, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Rabbit compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 1999 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 1999 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to February 15, 1999	Tiger (the 1998 year)
February 16, 1999 to December 31, 1999	Rabbit
January 1, 2000 to February 4, 2000	Rabbit (still the 1999 year)
February 5, 2000 onward	Dragon (the 2000 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 1999 Rabbit

The next own-sign year for someone born in 1999 is 2035, around age 36, then 2047, around age 48. 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: 1999 and 1998

Earth years come in pairs. 1999 is the yin year and 1998 is the yang year, the Tiger. So a 1999 Rabbit and a 1998 Tiger share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Rabbit and Tiger 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 Rabbit and Tiger pairing.

Other Rabbit years

1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 2011 2023 2035

Full Rabbit personality profile →   Rabbit compatibility with every sign →

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

What an Earth year changes for the Rabbit

Talking. What marks a 1999 Rabbit in conversation is the Earth element: it gets steadier and more patient about it, in no hurry to make the point.

Work. Expect a 1999 Rabbit to work slower but with more staying power than most, because Earth steadies and grounds the sign's usual approach. The element affects execution more than the field.

Love. In 1999's Earth version, the Rabbit shows affection through consistency and follow-through, since earth is the element of the harvest, stability and realism.

For the sign as a whole (how the Rabbit communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Rabbit profile. This page covers what is different about 1999.

Known Rabbits

The Rabbit's gentle streak is often illustrated with names like Angelina Jolie, David Beckham, Michael Jordan, Brad Pitt — none of whom was born in the 1999 lunar year. They illustrate the animal's general reputation, not this exact element combination.