The Chinese zodiac, also known as the animal sign, is a symbol of the twelve animals used in China and some parts of East Asia to represent the year and the year of birth of a person. They include rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, chicken, dog and pig. The cycle of the Chinese zodiac is 12 years, and each person has an animal as the Chinese zodiac sign in the year of his or her birth.
2025 is the Year of the Snake, beginning with the Lunar New Year on January 29, 2025, and lasting until Lunar New Year’s Eve on February 16, 2026. 2026 is the Year of the Horse.
What’s your zodiac animal?
The year people are born in determines their Chinese zodiac sign. However, it’s not that easy! Each year has an animal, but the “year” is defined by the Chinese lunar calendar, not the familiar Gregorian year, which runs from January 1 to December 31.
The date of the Lunar New Year varies from year to year, but it falls on a day in January or February. If you were born on a day between March and December, it’s not hard to figure out your sign, but for people with birthdays in January or February, the chances of getting it wrong are greater.
You can use our zodiac sign list to check your animal sign.
Comparison table of the twelve zodiac signs by year
| Zodiac Animal | Chinese Name | Recent Years |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | 鼠 (shǔ) | 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032 |
| Ox | 牛 (niú) | 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033 |
| Tiger | 虎 (hǔ) | 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 |
| Rabbit | 兔 (tù) | 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035 |
| Dragon | 龙 (lóng) | 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036 |
| Snake | 蛇 (shé) | 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 |
| Horse | 马 (mǎ) | 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038 |
| Sheep | 羊 (yáng) | 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039 |
| Monkey | 猴 (hóu) | 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040 |
| Rooster | 鸡 (jī) | 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041 |
| Dog | 狗 (gǒu) | 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042 |
| Pig | 猪 (zhū) | 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043 |
Origin of Chinese Zodiac
According to historical records, the first person to propose the twelve zodiac signs was an ancient Chinese astrologer and calendarist. According to records in ancient books such as Huainanzi, Shanhaijing, and Yijing, as early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, China had a calendar system that divided the year into twelve periods and used twelve animals as symbols. This was the earliest twelve zodiac system.
Later, this system gradually developed and improved during the Han Dynasty and became the twelve zodiac signs we are familiar with today.
The symbolism of the Chinese zodiac
Each animal in the Chinese zodiac has its own unique symbolic meaning and implication, representing people’s different understandings and thoughts on life, nature and society.
Rat: witty, flexible, hardworking, sharp;
Ox: resolute, hardworking, loyal, patient;
Tiger: brave, passionate, confident, charismatic;
Rabbit: smart, flexible, modest, cute;
Dragon: mysterious, noble, masculine, innovative;
Snake: flexible, calm, thoughtful, wise;
Horse: fast, passionate, brave, free;
Sheep: gentle, kind, loyal, harmonious;
Monkey: witty, curious, flexible, naughty;
Rooster: beautiful, hardworking, sharp, upright;
Dog: loyal, brave, steady, honest;
Pig: kind, hardworking, patient, happy.
Who is your zodiac sign suitable for?
In ancient China, marriage matching was often calculated based on the birth dates of both men and women to determine their compatibility in marriage.Each person’s birth date is unique and corresponds to a specific animal sign.
There are also different degrees of compatibility between animal signs. Below, let’s take a closer look at the matching table of the twelve animal signs!
🐭 Rat: Most compatible with Dragon, Monkey, and Ox, followed by Tiger, Rabbit, Sheep, Horse, and Pig.
🐮 Ox: Most compatible with Rat, Snake, and Rooster, followed by Tiger, Monkey, Pig, Dog, and Sheep.
🐯 Tiger: Most compatible with Pig, Dog, and Horse, followed by Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Monkey, and Sheep.
🐰 Rabbit: Most compatible with Pig, Dog, and Sheep, followed by Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Snake, and Monkey.
🐲 Dragon: Most compatible with Rat, Monkey, and Rooster, followed by Tiger, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, and Pig.
🐍 Snake: Most compatible with Rooster, Monkey, and Ox, followed by Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Dog, and Pig.
🐴 Horse: Most compatible with Tiger, Rabbit, and Sheep, followed by Rat, Dragon, Snake, Monkey, and Pig.
🐐 Sheep: Most compatible with Rabbit, Horse, and Pig, followed by Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Snake, and Monkey.
🐵 Monkey: Most compatible with rat, dragon, and snake, followed by tiger, rabbit, horse, sheep, and pig.
🐔 Rooster: Most compatible with snake, monkey, and ox, followed by tiger, rabbit, dragon, dog, and pig.
🐶 Dog: Most compatible with tiger, rabbit, and horse, followed by rat, dragon, snake, monkey, and pig.
🐷 Pig: Most compatible with rabbit, dragon, and sheep, followed by rat, tiger, snake, horse, and monkey.
Outline of 12 Zodiac Animals
In traditional Chinese culture, the twelve zodiac signs are unique symbols that not only represent the passage of time, but also contain rich cultural connotations and personality traits. Each zodiac sign has its own unique personality traits, which not only affect personal behavior habits, but also determine how they get along with others.
Let’s explore the personality traits of the twelve zodiac signs in detail.
Advantage
Intelligent, flexible, adaptable, sociable
Weaknesses
Sometimes timid, short-sighted and lacking in adventurous spirit.
Career
Smart and flexible, suitable for fields such as technology, finance, planning and management, such as advertising creativity, marketing, investment consulting, etc.
Advantage
Steady and practical, hardworking and resolute, strong sense of responsibility
Weaknesses
Stubborn, inflexible, and reserved in expressing emotions.
Career
Down-to-earth, suitable for stable careers such as agriculture, finance, construction engineering, such as agriculture and animal husbandry, hardware, pharmacies, real estate, intermediary agencies, agencies, consulting consultants, etc.
Advantage
Brave, confident, and full of sense of justice
Weaknesses
Impulsive, impatient, and sometimes conceited.
Career
Brave and decisive, suitable for military, sports, literature, culture, public service, judicial, public security police, politics, etc.
Advantage
Gentle, kind, thoughtful
Weaknesses
Timid and fearful, easily retreating, with large mood swings.
Career
Gentle and considerate, suitable for public relations, consulting, medical care and other people-related professions, such as planting, breeding, education, religion, medical care, medicine, culture, military and police, judiciary, politics, etc.
Advantage
Magnificent, wise and brave, with lofty ideals
Weaknesses
Proud and conceited, tends to ignore other people’s opinions.
Career
Confident and decisive, suitable for leadership and innovative careers, such as entrepreneurs, artists, politicians, finance, etc.
Advantage
Calm and collected, sharp wit
Weaknesses
Cold and suspicious, easily suspicious of others.
Career
Smart and clever, suitable for careers in scientific research, law, psychological counseling, such as the timber industry, furniture industry, printing industry, diplomats, clothing stores, bookstores, etc.
Advantage
Passionate and positive
Weaknesses
Lack of patience and prone to acting impulsively.
Career
Enthusiastic and lively, suitable for careers that require flexibility and communication skills, such as sales, advertising, and tourism.
Advantage
Kind, tolerant and creative
Weaknesses
Sometimes too submissive to others.
Career
Gentle and kind, suitable for professions that require patience and carefulness, such as educators, social workers and translators, such as the medical industry, pharmaceutical industry, education, construction industry, real estate industry, etc.
Advantage
Smart, lively and active
Weaknesses
Lack of patience and perseverance.
Career
Smart and clever, suitable for careers in technology design, transportation, finance, etc.
Advantage
Punctual, trustworthy, diligent and hardworking
Weaknesses
Sometimes too much attention to detail and lack of flexibility.
Career
Hardworking and meticulous, they are suitable for professions that require patience and precision, such as accounting, law, politics, steel industry, machinery manufacturing, insurance industry, etc.
Advantage
Loyal and reliable, with a strong sense of justice
Weaknesses
Sometimes stubborn and inflexible.
Career
Loyal and reliable, suitable for professions that require trust and loyalty, such as police, security, business, agriculture, real estate, etc.
Advantage
Optimistic, cheerful and sociable
Weaknesses
Sometimes there is a lack of financial management concepts.
Career
Gentle and kind, suitable for careers in shipping, transportation, sound engineer, entertainment, etc.
Chinese Zodiac Folklore
The twelve zodiac signs are widely used in folk customs, involving seasonal festivals, life etiquette, entertainment, clothing and food.
For example:
Blessing ceremony during the Spring Festival: During the Spring Festival of the Year of the Snake, some rural areas will hold grass dragon dance activities, which symbolizes the dispersal of haze and the welcome of good luck.
Food culture: Some areas in the south have special foods such as “Five Snake Soup”, which symbolizes harvest and auspiciousness.
Marriage customs: The twelve zodiac signs are also used for marriage matching, forming a set of concept interpretation system, reflecting the importance of the zodiac signs among the people.
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