Chinese Zodiac Sign Calculator
Enter a birth date from 1950–2030 and get the correct animal sign and stem-branch year.
Most people get this wrong. Your birthday falls in January or February, before Chinese New Year that year.
In the Chinese calendar, that year has not started yet — your animal sign is based on the previous lunar year, not the calendar year you were born in. The calculator above handles this automatically.
How the calculator works
The Chinese zodiac is based on the lunar calendar, not the Gregorian one. Each zodiac year begins on Chinese New Year (the first day of the first lunar month). Anyone born before Chinese New Year in a given year belongs to the previous animal sign. The table below shows the exact Chinese New Year dates used by this calculator.
The animal sign is the 12-year cycle (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig); the stem-branch year combines a 10-stem cycle with the 12-branch cycle — 2027 is the Ding Wei (丁未) Fire Goat year, beginning February 6, 2027.
Chinese New Year dates 2024–2030 (used by the calculator)
| Year | Animal | Chinese New Year |
|---|
| 2024 | Dragon | February 10 |
| 2025 | Snake | January 29 |
| 2026 | Horse | February 17 |
| 2027 | Goat | February 6 |
| 2028 | Monkey | January 26 |
| 2029 | Rooster | February 13 |
| 2030 | Dog | February 3 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is my Chinese zodiac sign?
- Use the calculator above. It converts your Gregorian birth date to the correct lunar year and returns your animal sign.
- Is 2027 the Year of the Goat?
- Yes. 2027 is the Ding Wei (丁未) Fire Goat year, starting February 6, 2027. It is also called the Year of the Sheep or Ram — they are the same animal in the Chinese zodiac.
- I was born in January 2027. Am I a Goat or a Horse?
- If you were born before February 6, 2027, you are still a Horse (the 2026 sign). The Goat year only begins on Chinese New Year's Day, February 6, 2027.
- Why do people born in Jan–Feb get their sign wrong?
- Because zodiac signs change on Chinese New Year, not on January 1. Many calculators and horoscopes use the Gregorian year and give an incorrect sign for early-year births.
- Is the zodiac the same as the Western zodiac?
- No. The Chinese zodiac has 12 animals on a lunar-year cycle; the Western zodiac has 12 signs on the solar month cycle. They are unrelated systems.
This calculator is provided for entertainment and cultural reference. Zodiac and stem-branch readings are traditional folklore and are not professional, medical, financial, or legal advice. Chinese New Year dates are computed from the standard astronomical lunar calendar (1950–2030).