Example 1
- Year: 1984
Rat · Metal · Yang
(1984−4) mod 12 = 0 → Rat; Metal, Yang.
Chinese zodiac calculator
From the year you compute the animal in the 12-year cycle, the element in the 10-year cycle, and yin or yang. Tropical day and month do not enter.
Here animal, element, and yin/yang come from the year. This tool is for entertainment and learning, not fortune-telling or life advice. It does not replace personal, medical or financial decisions. Also try the tropical zodiac, birthstone and moon phase.
Result
Enter a birth year to see the Chinese zodiac.
How it works
The Chinese zodiac in popular form maps a year to one of 12 animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.
We index the animal from reference year 4 CE (classic mod-12 formula). Example: 1984 → Rat, 1990 → Horse, 2000 → Dragon.
In parallel runs a 10-year element cycle: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, Earth (each element spans two years). Yin/yang alternates every year.
Full example: 1990 → Horse · Fire · Yang. 1977 → Snake · Water · Yin. 2024 → Dragon · Metal · Yang.
This is not the tropical Sun sign from day and month. Do not confuse it with the month birthstone. For the sky on a date, use the moon phase.
Important limit: the traditional Chinese year starts at a new moon around January/February. People born early in the Gregorian year may belong to the previous animal in a strict lunar calendar.
Here we use a simple Gregorian-year mapping so the result is repeatable and easy to check on paper.
Formula
animal = ((year − 4) mod 12) on the 12-animal list (0 = Rat).
element = floor(((year − 4) mod 10) / 2) on Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, Earth. Yin/yang: even offset → Yang, odd → Yin.
How to use the calculator
- Type the value in “Year of birth” using the unit printed on that label, not a different scale.
- Click Calculate or wait for the live result.
- Leave a blank field blank: the calculator errors out and does not fake a zero.
- If the birthday is in January/February, read the lunar New Year note.
- Compare with the tropical sign and the birthstone.
Suggested uses
- Quick year-to-animal mapping in the 12-year cycle.
- Learn elements and yin/yang with concrete years.
- Compare birth years in a family or class for fun.
- Start a set: Chinese animal + tropical sign + birthstone.
- Check that a hand mod-12 formula matches the tool.
- Draft a short note on the sexagenary cycle (entertainment).
Examples
Example 2
- Year: 1990
Horse · Fire · Yang
1990 → Horse, Fire, Yang.
Example 3
- Year: 2000
Dragon · Fire · Yang
2000 → Dragon, Fire, Yang.
Example 4
- Year: 1977
Snake · Water · Yin
1977 → Snake, Water, Yin.
Example 5
- Year: 2008
Rat · Wood · Yang
2008 → Rat, Wood, Yang.
Example 6
- Year: 2024
Dragon · Metal · Yang
2024 → Dragon, Metal, Yang.
Example 7
- Year of birth: 12
Result on the card after fill
What is chinese zodiac calculator of 12?
Example 8
- Year of birth: 24
Result on the card after fill
What is chinese zodiac calculator of 24?
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chinese zodiac here?
An animal from the 12-year cycle assigned to a year, often with an element and yin/yang. In popular culture it labels a birth year, not specific events.
Why start from year 4?
It is a convenient mod-12 anchor: year 4 maps to Rat. The formula stays short and repeatable.
Are January and February tricky?
Yes in a strict lunar calendar. Here we use the Gregorian year; early-year births may belong to the previous animal traditionally.
What do element and yin/yang mean?
The element comes from a 10-year cycle (five pairs). Yin/yang flips each year and completes the year label.
Is this fortune-telling or advice?
No. The calculator is entertainment and education. It does not replace specialist advice or life decisions.
Which years can I enter?
Whole numbers from 1 to 9999. For typical 20th/21st-century dates the labels feel most familiar.
Why might another site show a different animal?
Often because of the lunar New Year boundary or name translation choices. Here we keep a fixed mod formula on the calendar year.
What next after the result?
Check the tropical sign from the date, the birthstone for the month and the moon phase for a chosen day.
What is 1984 versus 1990 in this model?
1984 Rat, Metal, Yang. 1990 Horse, Fire, Yang. Animal from (year-4) mod 12. January and February may still belong to the previous lunar year.
Is a blank year 1984 and Rat?
No. Type a year 1-9999. Blank is an error. 0 is not Rat.