Chinese zodiac calculator: your animal and element

Your Chinese zodiac sign comes from the Chinese year you were born in, and that year starts at Lunar New Year (between 21 January and 20 February), not on 1 January. Enter your birth date to get your animal, its element and whether it is yin or yang. 2027 is the year of the Fire Goat.

How it works

The Chinese zodiac follows the Chinese calendar, where each year begins on the first day of the first lunar month. That day, Lunar New Year, falls on a different date each year, anywhere from 21 January to 20 February. So the calculator first finds the Lunar New Year date for the year you were born. If your birthday comes before it, you belong to the previous Chinese year.

We take Lunar New Year dates from a fixed table for 1901 to 2100, built from the Hong Kong Observatory’s Gregorian–Lunar Calendar Conversion Tables, the official reference published by the Hong Kong government. The table ships with this page, so your result appears instantly and your birth date is not sent anywhere.

Each Chinese year has a stem and a branch. The ten heavenly stems run Jia and Yi (Wood), Bing and Ding (Fire), Wu and Ji (Earth), Geng and Xin (Metal), and Ren and Gui (Water); the first of each pair is yang, the second yin. The twelve earthly branches are the twelve animals, from the Rat to the Pig. Counting from a known starting point, the stem is the year minus 4, modulo 10, and the branch is the year minus 4, modulo 12. That is how 2026 comes out as Bing Wu, the Fire Horse, and 2027 as Ding Wei, the Fire Goat.

We use the birth date as you enter it, with no time zone conversion. For the method behind all of our calculators, see how we compute.

No birth time needed. Use the date on your birth certificate.

2027: the year of the Fire Goat

The Fire Goat year (Ding Wei) runs from 6 Feb 2027 to 25 Jan 2028. Fire is the element, and the Goat is a yin sign, so tradition reads it as a warm, gentle year that favours creativity, home and cooperation over force.

Signs in conflict with the year (Tai Sui)

Tai Sui, the “Grand Duke” of the year, is the star tradition associates with each year’s animal. Four signs are said to be out of step with it in 2027. Tradition treats this as a reason for care, not worry.

Goat (Birth-year sign): Your own animal's year (ben ming nian), traditionally a year to move deliberately.
Ox (Clash): The Ox sits opposite the Goat on the zodiac wheel, the most direct of the four relations.
Rat (Harm): A milder relation, usually read as friction in close relationships.
Dog (Punishment and break): Two lighter relations together, usually read as a year to keep plans simple.

2027 for each sign

Rat: A year for patience with people close to you. Small misunderstandings are easier to clear early than late; say the obvious thing out loud.
Ox: The Goat year sits opposite yours, which tradition reads as change arriving from outside. Keep commitments few and clear, and leave room to adjust.
Tiger: A steady year with room to build. Fire suits your energy; pick one project that matters and give it consistent time rather than bursts.
Rabbit: The Goat is one of your natural allies, so cooperation comes easily. A good year to collaborate, mend a connection or start something with a friend.
Dragon: Ambition stays high, but the Goat year rewards gentleness over force. Results come through persuasion and good timing more than push.
Snake: A reflective, practical year. Tidy up finances and routines in the first half; the second half favours learning something new.
Horse: The Goat is your closest match among the twelve, so support tends to show up when you ask. Use it to take on something you have been putting off.
Goat: Your own animal's year. Tradition treats it as a year to move deliberately: look after your health and energy, and choose depth over speed.
Monkey: Curiosity carries you. Good for travel, study and new contacts; just finish one thing before starting the next.
Rooster: A year to refine rather than reinvent. Small improvements to how you work and rest add up by the year's end.
Dog: The year touches your sign lightly. Keep plans simple, read agreements twice, and the year stays calm.
Pig: The Goat is a natural ally, and warmth around home and friends runs high. A good year to host, settle in and enjoy what you have built.

Your full Four Pillars (BaZi) reading is coming

Your animal is one pillar of four. A full BaZi reading uses your birth year, month, day and hour to describe your Day Master and the balance of the five elements in your chart.

Get your full AI reading when it opens.

Questions

What is my Chinese zodiac sign if I was born in January or February?

It depends on the date of Lunar New Year in your birth year, which moves between 21 January and 20 February. If you were born before it, your sign is the animal of the previous year. For example, someone born on 9 February 2024 is a Water Rabbit, and someone born on 10 February 2024 is a Wood Dragon.

How is my element worked out?

Each Chinese year pairs one of ten heavenly stems with one of twelve earthly branches. The stem gives the element (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water) and whether the year is yin or yang; the branch gives the animal. The full cycle repeats every 60 years.

When does the year of the Fire Goat start and end?

The Fire Goat year starts on 6 February 2027 and ends on 25 January 2028. Lunar New Year 2028 then begins the year of the Earth Monkey.

What does it mean to be in conflict with Tai Sui in 2027?

Tai Sui is the star tradition assigns to each year. In 2027 the Goat (its own year), the Ox (clash), the Rat (harm) and the Dog (punishment and break) are said to be out of step with it. Tradition treats this as a reason to move carefully, not as a prediction of bad luck.

Is my Chinese zodiac sign related to my Western star sign?

No. Western signs follow the Sun through the year, so they change about every month. Chinese signs follow the year you were born in, so everyone born in the same Chinese year shares an animal. The two systems answer different questions, and many people find it useful to know both.

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