12 Animals · 5 Elements · 60-year Cycle
Chinese Astrology
A 5,000-year-old system that maps every birth year to one of 12 animal signs combined with one of 5 elements — together producing a 60-year sexagenary cycle of distinct personality archetypes.
Find Your Chinese Sign
Enter your birth year. If born in January or first 3 weeks of February, check the box to adjust for Lunar New Year cutoff.
Your Chinese sign
Fire Rat
Quick, resourceful, charismatic — born strategists who turn information into advantage.
What is Chinese Astrology?
Chinese astrology is one of the world's oldest predictive systems, codified during the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) but with roots in much earlier Chinese cosmology. Unlike Western or Vedic astrology — which read the moment of birth in detail — Chinese astrology centres the YEAR of birth, combined with the elemental phase of that year, to produce a personality archetype that's surprisingly accurate across cultures.
The system has two layers. The OUTER layer is the 12-animal cycle (Rat → Ox → Tiger → ... → Pig), where each animal corresponds to a different year and personality archetype. The INNER layer is the 5-element cycle (Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water), which colours the animal's expression. Combined, these produce 60 unique combinations (12 × 5 = 60) — the sexagenary cycle that gave Chinese culture its longstanding 60-year birthday tradition.
Chinese astrology is not opposed to Vedic — they answer different questions. Vedic gives you a granular, personalised birth-chart reading down to the minute. Chinese gives you a generation-level archetype that's easy to share, easy to remember, and immediately useful in matchmaking, hiring, friendship-formation, and family understanding. Many serious astrology students study both.
The 12 Zodiac Animals
Click any animal to see its full profile — personality, career, love compatibility, lucky numbers, FAQs.
Sign #1
Rat
鼠 (Shǔ)
Quick, resourceful, charismatic — born strategists who turn information into advantage.
Sign #2
Ox
牛 (Niú)
Patient, methodical, dependable — the long-distance runners who build empires brick by brick.
Sign #3
Tiger
虎 (Hǔ)
Brave, magnetic, intense — natural leaders who command rooms without trying.
Sign #4
Rabbit
兔 (Tù)
Gentle, refined, diplomatic — the artists and mediators of the zodiac.
Sign #5
Dragon
龙 (Lóng)
Magnetic, ambitious, larger-than-life — born to do something memorable.
Sign #6
Snake
蛇 (Shé)
Wise, mysterious, deeply intuitive — the philosophers and quiet strategists.
Sign #7
Horse
马 (Mǎ)
Energetic, free-spirited, adventurous — the wanderers who can't sit still.
Sign #8
Goat (Sheep)
羊 (Yáng)
Gentle, artistic, empathetic — the caretakers and creators who lead with the heart.
Sign #9
Monkey
猴 (Hóu)
Witty, inventive, irreverent — the problem-solvers who turn every challenge into a game.
Sign #10
Rooster
鸡 (Jī)
Confident, organised, perfectionist — the disciplined performers who set the standard.
Sign #11
Dog
狗 (Gǒu)
Loyal, just, principled — the moral compass and protectors of the zodiac.
Sign #12
Pig
猪 (Zhū)
Generous, optimistic, sincere — the warm-hearted enjoyers of life's good things.
The 5 Elements (Wu Xing)
Each year is also assigned an element. Your animal's expression is coloured by which of the 5 elements rules your birth year.
Wood
木 (Mù)
Years end in 4 or 5
Growth, expansion, vision — the element of new beginnings and creative ambition.
Fire
火 (Huǒ)
Years end in 6 or 7
Passion, transformation, expression — the element of charisma and visible impact.
Earth
土 (Tǔ)
Years end in 8 or 9
Stability, nourishment, harmony — the element of family, home, and centred presence.
Metal
金 (Jīn)
Years end in 0 or 1
Precision, refinement, structure — the element of clarity, ethics, and finished form.
Water
水 (Shuǐ)
Years end in 2 or 3
Wisdom, depth, adaptability — the element of intuition and quiet power.
Chinese astrology gives an excellent generation-level archetype. For deeper personalised reading combining birth date, time, and location, also consult our free Vedic Kundli — the two systems work well together.