Chinese Zodiac Calculator
Enter a birth year or full date to get the Chinese zodiac animal and its five-element pairing, with the lunar new year taken into account for early-year births.
How it works
The Chinese zodiac runs on a twelve-year cycle of animals — Rat, Ox, Tiger, and so on. The calculator maps your year onto that cycle, so 2000 lands on the Dragon and 2023 on the Rabbit.
On top of the animals sits a five-element cycle — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water — that turns over every couple of years and pairs with each animal. That's why 2000 is a Metal Dragon while 1984 is a Wood Rat.
Because the Chinese year begins at the lunar new year in late January or February, someone born in early January belongs to the previous animal year. Switch to the date mode and the tool checks the lunar new year for that year and adjusts the sign when needed.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the birth date matter, not just the year?
The Chinese year starts at the lunar new year, which falls in late January or February. A baby born in early January is still in the prior zodiac year, so entering a full date gives a more accurate animal.
What are the elements about?
Alongside the twelve animals, a five-element cycle of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water rotates through the years. Each combination — like Water Tiger or Fire Horse — repeats only once every sixty years.
How exact are the lunar new year dates?
The tool uses the recorded lunar new year dates for recent decades, so births near the boundary are handled well. For years far outside that range it falls back to the calendar year.