Born in 2009: the Ox

Earth Ox is the full name of the 2009 sign. Its traditional two-part year name is 己丑 (jǐchǒu), which puts it at number 26 of 60, and 2009 is a yin year, the cycle's quieter, more reflective half. Expect the Ox's usual traits (dependable, patient, methodical) with a grounded, practical and patient edge from the Earth element.

The 2009 lunar year ran from January 26, 2009 up to the day before Chinese New Year 2010 (February 14, 2010). If you were born on or after January 26, 2009 you are an Ox; if you were born earlier in 2009, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Rat. Someone born in 2009 turns 17 in 2026 (or 16 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 2009'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 Ox year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2009 was 1949, and the next is 2069. People born in it are said to combine dependable and patient with the element's grounded nature. Every Ox year is yin (the quieter, inward type). See the Earth element and the full Earth Ox profile.

2009 at a glance

Animal	🐂 Ox (牛)
Element	Earth
Yin or yang	yin
Traditional year name	己丑 (jǐchǒu)
Place in the 60-year cycle	26 of 60
Zodiac year runs	January 26, 2009 to February 13, 2010
Age in 2026	16–17
Traditional best match	Rat
Traditional hardest match	Goat
Lucky numbers	1, 4
Lucky colors	white, yellow, green

Ox compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 2009 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 2009 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 2009 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to January 25, 2009	Rat (the 2008 year)
January 26, 2009 to December 31, 2009	Ox
January 1, 2010 to February 13, 2010	Ox (still the 2009 year)
February 14, 2010 onward	Tiger (the 2010 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 2009 Ox

The next own-sign year for someone born in 2009 is 2033, around age 24, then 2045, around age 36. 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: 2009 and 2008

Earth years come in pairs. 2009 is the yin year and 2008 is the yang year, the Rat. So a 2009 Ox and a 2008 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 1985 1997 2021 2033

Full Ox personality profile →   Ox compatibility with every sign →

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

What an Earth year changes for the Ox

Talking. What marks a 2009 Ox in conversation is the Earth element: it gets steadier and more patient about it, in no hurry to make the point.

Work. Expect a 2009 Ox 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 2009's Earth version, the Ox 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 Ox communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Ox profile. This page covers what is different about 2009.

Known Oxs

The Ox's dependable streak is often illustrated with names like Barack Obama, Meryl Streep, Eddie Murphy, Peter Jackson — none of whom was born in the 2009 lunar year. They illustrate the animal's general reputation, not this exact element combination.