How the zodiac cycle works
The Chinese zodiac assigns one of 12 animals to each year in a fixed, repeating order. Because the cycle is 12 years long, you can find any year's animal by counting from a known reference year — here, 2020 is the Year of the Rat.
- year — birth year (Gregorian)
- index — 0 = Rat … 11 = Pig
More detail
The 12 animals, in order
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The order never changes, so people born 12 years apart share the same animal — 2012 and 2024 are both Dragon years, and 2000 was too.
Why the lunar cutoff matters
The zodiac year doesn't start on January 1. It starts at Lunar New Year, which falls between late January and mid-February. Someone born in early January or early February may still belong to the previous year's animal, so check the exact Lunar New Year date for your birth year if you're near the boundary.
Tip. If you were born in January or early February, confirm your birth date against that year's Lunar New Year — your animal may be the previous one.
Frequently asked questions
What is my Chinese zodiac animal?
Enter your birth year above. The animal follows a fixed 12-year cycle where 2020 is the Rat — so 2021 is the Ox, 2022 the Tiger, and so on. People born 12 years apart share the same animal.
What animal is 2024?
2024 is the Year of the Dragon. The previous Dragon years were 2012 and 2000, and the next will be 2036 — each Dragon year is 12 years apart.
I was born in January — which year's animal am I?
The zodiac year begins at Lunar New Year (late January to mid-February), not January 1. If you were born before that date, your animal is the previous year's. Check the exact Lunar New Year date for your birth year to be sure.
Do people born 12 years apart share a zodiac?
Yes. The cycle is exactly 12 animals long, so 1990, 2002, and 2014 are all Horse years. That's why the calculator only needs the year to find the animal.