Chinese Zodiac: The 12 Animals Explained

The Chinese zodiac assigns one animal to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Your sign is determined by your birth year, using the lunar calendar rather than January 1 — if you were born in January or early February, you may belong to the previous year.

The animals are not ranked. They are a counting system, like months having names. The meaning comes from the combination with the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), which produces a sixty-year cycle. So a "Fire Goat" and a "Wood Goat" are different, even though both are Goats.

Rat (鼠) — quick-witted, resourceful and adaptable. Rats are natural survivors who thrive in change. Lucky numbers: 2 and 3. Lucky colours: blue, gold and green. Best matches: Ox, Dragon, Monkey.

Ox (牛) — diligent, dependable and patient. Oxen are steady workers who finish what they start. Lucky numbers: 1 and 4. Lucky colours: white, yellow and green. Best matches: Rat, Snake, Rooster.

Tiger (虎) — brave, confident and competitive. Tigers are born leaders who dislike being told what to do. Lucky numbers: 1, 3 and 4. Lucky colours: blue, grey and orange. Best matches: Horse, Dog, Pig.

Rabbit (兔) — gentle, elegant and cautious. Rabbits are peacemakers with strong instincts for beauty. Lucky numbers: 3, 4 and 6. Lucky colours: pink, purple and blue. Best matches: Sheep, Dog, Pig.

Dragon (龍) — ambitious, charismatic and confident. Dragons are the most revered sign, associated with power and good fortune. Lucky numbers: 1, 6 and 7. Lucky colours: gold, silver and grey. Best matches: Rat, Monkey, Rooster.

Snake (蛇) — wise, enigmatic and intuitive. Snakes think before they act and rarely show their hand. Lucky numbers: 2, 8 and 9. Lucky colours: black, red and yellow. Best matches: Ox, Rooster.

Horse (馬) — energetic, free-spirited and sociable. Horses love movement and dislike being confined. Lucky numbers: 2, 3 and 7. Lucky colours: yellow, green and red. Best matches: Tiger, Sheep, Dog.

Goat (羊) — calm, creative and kind. Goats are artistic and value harmony above conflict. Lucky numbers: 3, 4 and 9. Lucky colours: brown, red and purple. Best matches: Rabbit, Horse, Pig.

Monkey (猴) — clever, playful and inventive. Monkeys are problem-solvers who learn fast and get bored even faster. Lucky numbers: 4 and 9. Lucky colours: white, blue and gold. Best matches: Rat, Dragon.

Rooster (雞) — observant, hardworking and honest. Roosters are early risers with an eye for detail. Lucky numbers: 5, 7 and 8. Lucky colours: gold, brown and yellow. Best matches: Ox, Snake.

Dog (狗) — loyal, honest and protective. Dogs are dependable friends who value fairness. Lucky numbers: 3, 4 and 9. Lucky colours: green, red and purple. Best matches: Rabbit, Tiger, Horse.

Pig (豬) — generous, sincere and easy-going. Pigs enjoy life and are genuinely warm to others. Lucky numbers: 2, 5 and 8. Lucky colours: yellow, grey and brown. Best matches: Tiger, Rabbit, Sheep.

Compatibility is traditionally read in groups of four, called "three harmonies" (三合) and "six harmony" (六合). The three harmonies are: Rat-Dragon-Monkey, Ox-Snake-Rooster, Tiger-Horse-Dog, Rabbit-Sheep-Pig. People in the same harmony group are said to get along naturally.

The six harmony pairs are the strongest one-to-one matches: Rat and Ox, Tiger and Pig, Rabbit and Dog, Dragon and Rooster, Snake and Monkey, Horse and Sheep. Opposite signs, six positions apart, are traditionally considered the hardest match — for example Rat and Horse, or Ox and Goat.

Treat compatibility as a cultural talking point, not a rule for relationships. It is widely referenced in matchmaking and gift-giving customs, which is why it appears on our printable zodiac cards.

The zodiac appears everywhere in Chinese culture: in idioms, in festival customs, and in the practice of choosing auspicious dates. Knowing your sign is also a common icebreaker — the Chinese equivalent of asking someone their star sign.

If you want to look up your own sign and birth years, or gift someone a reference chart, our printable zodiac chart lists every birth year from 1948 to 2025 against its animal, in seven languages.