Your Chinese zodiac,
calculated, not looked up
Most English tables say “1990 = Horse”. That is wrong for anyone born before 4 February. Enter a birth date and time and we convert it to China time, then find the animal from the exact moment spring begins — together with the lunar date, moon phase, age and five-element balance.
The twelve animals
Each branch carries one of the five elements. Open any date to see the full balance.
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Rat 鼠
Resourceful, quick-witted and adaptable.
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Ox 牛
Diligent, dependable and patient.
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Tiger 虎
Brave, competitive and natural-born leader.
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Rabbit 兔
Gentle, cautious and refined.
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Loong 龙
Charismatic, confident and energetic.
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Snake 蛇
Wise, intuitive and purposeful.
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Horse 马
Free-spirited, energetic and adventurous.
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Goat 羊
Harmonious, creative and gentle.
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Monkey 猴
Witty, curious and inventive.
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Rooster 鸡
Punctual, honest and meticulous.
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Dog 狗
Loyal, sincere and responsible.
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Pig 猪
Generous, honest and fortunate.
Why two animals can both be correct
Two new-year moments are in everyday use. The Start of Spring (lìchţn, around 4 February, exact to the second) opens the sexagenary cycle used in divination and by traditional Chinese calendars. The lunar new year opens the festival year that greeting cards refer to. Between the two — roughly 3–5 weeks of births every year — a person belongs to the previous animal under one rule and the new animal under the other. Every date page here shows both whenever they disagree.
The hour matters just as much: the Chinese day is cut into two-hour periods that start at 23:00, so a birth at 23:20 and one at 11:20 on the same calendar day produce different pillars.