Chinese zodiac calculator
Twelve animals cycle against ten heavenly stems — five elements in yin and yang pairs. The two cycles realign only at their lowest common multiple, which is sixty, not 120, because both are even. So a Metal Rat recurs every sixty years, and a sixtieth birthday completes a full cycle — which is why it carries particular significance in Chinese, Japanese and Korean tradition.
The Chinese year begins at Chinese New Year, which falls between 21 January and 20 February. A January or early February birthday may belong to the previous animal.
The Chinese zodiac cycles twelve animals against five elements, giving a sixty-year cycle. 1990 is the Metal Horse; 2026 is the Fire Horse. The year begins at Chinese New Year, not 1 January.
How to find your Chinese zodiac sign
The New Year caveat matters more than it sounds. Chinese New Year falls anywhere between 21 January and 20 February, so roughly one birthday in eight lands before it and belongs to the previous animal year. Anyone born in that window and using a year-based calculator will get the wrong animal about half the time. It is the single most common error in Chinese zodiac lookups, and the reason this tool says so on the page rather than quietly getting it wrong.
Questions
It depends on the year, and on whether your birthday falls before Chinese New Year.