Feb 17, 2026 to Feb 5, 2027
The Horse brings energy, independence, and a love of freedom. This Fire Horse year favors bold moves and new adventures.
Explore Each Sign
Rat
The Resourceful Alchemist
Ox
The Steadfast Guardian
Tiger
The Bold Visionary
Rabbit
The Gentle Artist
Chinese Calendar Animals by Year
Quick lookup of Chinese zodiac signs by year. Find your birth year below to see your animal, or browse to see how the 12-year cycle has repeated since 1924. Click any year to visit that animal's profile.
Born in January or early February? Your zodiac year may belong to the previous animal. See how the lunar new year cutoff affects your sign, or browse the full cutoff dates table from 1900 to 2049 for exact start and end dates.
Go Deeper
Element Variants
60 unique animal-element combinations like Fire Tiger, Water Rat, and Metal Dragon. Find your exact variant.
Explore elements →Compatibility
See which signs harmonize effortlessly and which push each other to grow. Try the Family Harmony Calculator.
Check compatibility →Four Pillars (BaZi)
Go beyond your animal. Get your full birth chart with Day Master, element balance, and luck cycles.
Calculate your chart →How the Chinese Zodiac Works
The 12-Year Cycle
Each year is assigned one of 12 animals in a fixed order. Your birth year determines your primary zodiac animal, the lens through which the tradition reads your personality, strengths, and life patterns.
Five Elements
Layered on top is a 10-year elemental cycle: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water. Each element pairs with each animal twice, creating 60 unique variations before the full cycle repeats.
Explore the elements →Lunar Calendar
The zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, not January 1. Born in January or February? Your animal may belong to the previous year. Our calculator handles this automatically.
Compatibility
Each animal has natural allies and rivals. Some signs harmonize effortlessly; others push each other to grow. The four trines above show which animals share the deepest natural affinity.
Read the guide →