Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Find your Chinese zodiac animal from a birth year.
How to Find a Chinese Zodiac Animal
- Enter a birth year.
- The zodiac animal and a short trait blurb appear instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the 12-year cycle work?
The Chinese zodiac assigns one of 12 animals to each year in a fixed, repeating 12-year cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig, in that order. Every 12th year repeats the same animal — for example, 2020, 2008, and 1996 were all years of the Rat.
Does this use the birth year or the Chinese lunar new year date?
This tool uses the calendar (Gregorian) birth year for simplicity. If you were born in January or early February, the true Chinese zodiac year technically starts on the lunar new year (which shifts date each year), so someone born right before that date may technically belong to the previous animal year.
Is the Chinese zodiac the same as the Western zodiac?
No — the Western zodiac assigns one of 12 signs based on your specific birth date within a year. The Chinese zodiac instead assigns one of 12 animals to your entire birth year, a completely separate tradition.
Is my birth year sent anywhere when I use this?
No — the year lookup happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript, so nothing you enter is ever sent to a server.