The Chinese Zodiac, based on a twelve-year cycle, assigns an animal sign to each year, and these signs are believed to influence a person’s personality, fate, and characteristics. To determine your Chinese Zodiac sign, you need to know your birth year and match it to the corresponding animal in the Chinese calendar. Here’s a simple guide to help you find your Chinese Zodiac sign:
Step 1: Know Your Birth Year
The Chinese Zodiac follows the lunar calendar, which doesn’t align perfectly with the Gregorian calendar (the standard Western calendar). This means the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year, usually between late January and February. If you were born before the Chinese New Year in a given year, your zodiac sign would correspond to the previous year’s animal.
For example, if you were born in 1995, you would need to check if you were born before or after Chinese New Year (which was February 19, 1995). If you were born before this date, you would still fall under the animal of 1994 (the Year of the Dog). If you were born after Chinese New Year, you would be under the 1995 sign (the Year of the Pig).
Step 2: Find the Chinese Zodiac Year Cycle
The Chinese Zodiac is based on a twelve-year cycle, with each year corresponding to one of the following animals:
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Goat (Sheep)
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Pig
Each of these animals is associated with specific traits and characteristics. The animal sign for the year you were born determines your Chinese Zodiac sign.
Step 3: Check the Year and Corresponding Animal
Here are some key years to get you started:
Rat: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
Ox: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
Tiger: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
Rabbit: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
Dragon: 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Snake: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Horse: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Goat (Sheep): 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Rooster: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Dog: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Pig: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Step 4: Consider Your Birth Time
In some cases, Chinese Zodiac readings also take into account the time of birth, as each hour corresponds to an additional animal sign based on the Chinese “hourly” system. This is known as your “Chinese Zodiac hour” or “Earthly Branch,” which can further refine your personality traits. However, for most purposes, your year of birth will be enough to determine your primary sign.
Step 5: Look Up Your Chinese Zodiac Sign Online
If you’re unsure about which animal corresponds to your birth year, there are plenty of online calculators that can determine your Chinese Zodiac sign instantly. You’ll simply need to input your birth year, and the calculator will provide your sign along with a brief description of its characteristics.
Discover everything about astrology at the Times of India, including daily horoscopes for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.