The twelve animals
- Rat 鼠 Resourceful, quick-witted and adaptable.
- Ox 牛 Diligent, dependable and patient.
- Tiger 虎 Brave, competitive and natural-born leader.
- Rabbit 兔 Gentle, cautious and refined.
- Loong 龙 Charismatic, confident and energetic.
- Snake 蛇 Wise, intuitive and purposeful.
- Horse 马 Free-spirited, energetic and adventurous.
- Goat 羊 Harmonious, creative and gentle.
- Monkey 猴 Witty, curious and inventive.
- Rooster 鸡 Punctual, honest and meticulous.
- Dog 狗 Loyal, sincere and responsible.
- Pig 猪 Generous, honest and fortunate.
Why the animal can be ambiguous
Two different new-year moments are in everyday use. The Start of Spring (around 4 February, exact to the minute) begins the sexagenary cycle used in divination, while the lunar new year (late January or February) begins the festival year. A baby born between those two dates belongs to the previous animal under one rule and the new animal under the other, so a fixed table like "1990 = Horse" is often wrong. The result page shows both answers whenever they disagree.