Born in 2019: the Pig

Earth Pig is the full name of the 2019 sign. Its traditional two-part year name is 己亥 (jǐhài), which puts it at number 36 of 60, and 2019 is a yin year, the cycle's quieter, more reflective half. Expect the Pig's usual traits (generous, easy-going, diligent) with a grounded, practical and patient edge from the Earth element.

The 2019 lunar year ran from February 5, 2019 up to the day before Chinese New Year 2020 (January 25, 2020). If you were born on or after February 5, 2019 you are a Pig; if you were born earlier in 2019, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Dog. Someone born in 2019 turns 7 in 2026 (or 6 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 2019'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 Pig year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2019 was 1959, and the next is 2079. People born in it are said to combine generous and easy-going with the element's grounded nature. Every Pig year is yin (the quieter, inward type). See the Earth element and the full Earth Pig profile.

2019 at a glance

Animal	🐖 Pig (猪)
Element	Earth
Yin or yang	yin
Traditional year name	己亥 (jǐhài)
Place in the 60-year cycle	36 of 60
Zodiac year runs	February 5, 2019 to January 24, 2020
Age in 2026	6–7
Traditional best match	Tiger
Traditional hardest match	Snake
Lucky numbers	2, 5, 8
Lucky colors	yellow, gray, brown, gold

Pig compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 2019 Pig gets on best with the Tiger (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Rabbit and Goat. The hardest pairing is the Snake, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Pig compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 2019 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 2019 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to February 4, 2019	Dog (the 2018 year)
February 5, 2019 to December 31, 2019	Pig
January 1, 2020 to January 24, 2020	Pig (still the 2019 year)
January 25, 2020 onward	Rat (the 2020 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 2019 Pig

The next own-sign year for someone born in 2019 is 2031, around age 12, then 2043, around age 24. 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: 2019 and 2018

Earth years come in pairs. 2019 is the yin year and 2018 is the yang year, the Dog. So a 2019 Pig and a 2018 Dog share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Pig and Dog 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 Pig and Dog pairing.

Other Pig years

1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007 2031 2043

Full Pig personality profile →   Pig compatibility with every sign →

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

What an Earth year changes for the Pig

Talking. What marks a 2019 Pig in conversation is the Earth element: it gets steadier and more patient about it, in no hurry to make the point.

Work. Expect a 2019 Pig 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 2019's Earth version, the Pig 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 Pig communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Pig profile. This page covers what is different about 2019.

Known Pigs

The Pig's generous streak is often illustrated with names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hillary Clinton, Elton John, Ricky Martin — none of whom was born in the 2019 lunar year. They illustrate the animal's general reputation, not this exact element combination.