Born in 2021: the Ox
A Yin Metal Ox 🐂
2021 is a yin year, a Metal Ox. In the traditional calendar it carries the two-part name 辛丑 (xīnchǒu), year 38 of the 60-year cycle. The Metal element adds a determined, disciplined and self-reliant streak to the Ox's base character (dependable, patient, methodical), and this is the quieter, more reflective half of the cycle.
The 2021 lunar year ran from February 12, 2021 up to the day before Chinese New Year 2022 (February 1, 2022). If you were born on or after February 12, 2021 you are an Ox; if you were born earlier in 2021, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Rat. Someone born in 2021 turns 5 in 2026 (or 4 until their birthday for the year).
Calendar note: 2021's Chinese New Year fell on a Friday, and that lunar year ran 354 days — an ordinary 12-month lunar year.
What the Metal element adds
Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve. A Metal year sharpens focus and independence: a Metal animal knows what it wants and pursues it directly, sometimes at the cost of flexibility.
The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Metal Ox year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2021 was 1961, and the next is 2081. People born in it are said to combine dependable and patient with the element's determined nature. Every Ox year is yin (the quieter, inward type). See the Metal element and the full Metal Ox profile.
2021 at a glance
| Animal | 🐂 Ox (牛) |
|---|---|
| Element | Metal |
| Yin or yang | yin |
| Traditional year name | 辛丑 (xīnchǒu) |
| Place in the 60-year cycle | 38 of 60 |
| Zodiac year runs | February 12, 2021 to January 31, 2022 |
| Age in 2026 | 4–5 |
| Traditional best match | Rat |
| Traditional hardest match | Goat |
| Lucky numbers | 1, 4 |
| Lucky colors | white, yellow, green |
Ox compatibility
In the traditional chart, a 2021 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 2021 lands
The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 2021 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.
| Birthday | Zodiac animal |
|---|---|
| January 1 to February 11, 2021 | Rat (the 2020 year) |
| February 12, 2021 to December 31, 2021 | Ox |
| January 1, 2022 to January 31, 2022 | Ox (still the 2021 year) |
| February 1, 2022 onward | Tiger (the 2022 year) |
Zodiac years ahead for a 2021 Ox
The next own-sign year for someone born in 2021 is 2033, around age 12, then 2045, 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: 2021 and 2020
Metal years come in pairs. 2021 is the yin year and 2020 is the yang year, the Rat. So a 2021 Ox and a 2020 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 2009 2033
Full Ox personality profile → Ox compatibility with every sign →
Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →
What a Metal year changes for the Ox
Talking. In conversation, a Metal Ox gets more guarded about it, saying less than it's actually thinking, which is the main way 2021's version differs from the same animal born under another element.
Work. Metal sharpens and hardens the Ox's usual working style, so a 2021 Ox tends to run things with a sharper, less negotiable edge than most. The kind of work the sign suits stays the same; the element changes how the job gets done.
Love. Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve, so in a relationship a Metal Ox shows affection through direct, no-nonsense gestures.
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 2021.
Known Oxs
Well-known Oxs — sharing the animal though not this exact 2021 birth year or Metal element — include Barack Obama, Meryl Streep, Eddie Murphy, Peter Jackson. None of the people listed here were born in the 2021 lunar year, but they're commonly cited as examples of the Ox's dependable streak.
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac sign is 2021?
2021 is the year of the Ox (Metal Ox, a yin year). Anyone born on or after February 12, 2021 is an Ox; a birthday earlier in 2021 belongs to the previous sign, the Rat.
Which birth dates count as a 2021 Ox?
Birthdays from February 12, 2021 to January 31, 2022 count as an Ox (Metal Ox). A birthday in January or early February 2021 before February 12, 2021 belongs to the Rat, and one on or after February 1, 2022 belongs to the Tiger.
What element is the 2021 zodiac year?
2021 is a Metal-element year. Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve. A Metal year sharpens focus and independence: a Metal animal knows what it wants and pursues it directly, sometimes at the cost of flexibility.
Who is a 2021 Ox most compatible with?
Best matches are the Rat (the "secret friend"), plus the Snake and Rooster. The hardest match is the Goat.
Is 2021 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 2021 is not a Fire Horse year.