Chinese zodiac elements
The Chinese zodiac combines twelve animals with five elements, Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth, so every animal comes back as a different element every twelve years and the whole cycle repeats after sixty. The element follows the last digit of the year.
| Element | Chinese | Years ending in | Stems | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal | 金 jīn | 0, 1 | 庚 辛 gēng xīn | Metal is one of the five phases of 五行, associated with autumn, the west and firmness. A Metal year pairs a Metal stem with that year's animal, so a Metal Dragon year is 庚辰; the qualities said to come with it are traditional belief. |
| Wood | 木 mù | 4, 5 | 甲 乙 jiǎ yǐ | Wood is associated with spring, the east and growth in the five-phase scheme. A Wood Tiger year, for example, is 甲寅; any character said to come with it is traditional belief. |
| Water | 水 shuǐ | 2, 3 | 壬 癸 rén guǐ | Water is associated with winter, the north and flexibility in the five-phase scheme. A Water Rabbit year, for example, is 癸卯; the traits linked to it are folk belief. |
| Fire | 火 huǒ | 6, 7 | 丙 丁 bǐng dīng | Fire is associated with summer, the south and energy in the five-phase scheme. A Fire Horse year, for example, is 丙午, and its fiery reputation is a traditional belief. |
| Earth | 土 tǔ | 8, 9 | 戊 己 wù jǐ | Earth is associated with the center and stability in the five-phase scheme. An Earth Dog year, for example, is 戊戌; what it is said to bring is traditional belief. |
Recent years with their elements
| Year | Runs | Element and animal | Stem-branch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 7 February 2008 to 25 January 2009 | Earth Rat | 戊子 wù zǐ |
| 2009 | 26 January 2009 to 13 February 2010 | Earth Ox | 己丑 jǐ chǒu |
| 2010 | 14 February 2010 to 2 February 2011 | Metal Tiger | 庚寅 gēng yín |
| 2011 | 3 February 2011 to 22 January 2012 | Metal Rabbit | 辛卯 xīn mǎo |
| 2012 | 23 January 2012 to 9 February 2013 | Water Dragon | 壬辰 rén chén |
| 2013 | 10 February 2013 to 30 January 2014 | Water Snake | 癸巳 guǐ sì |
| 2014 | 31 January 2014 to 18 February 2015 | Wood Horse | 甲午 jiǎ wǔ |
| 2015 | 19 February 2015 to 7 February 2016 | Wood Goat | 乙未 yǐ wèi |
| 2016 | 8 February 2016 to 27 January 2017 | Fire Monkey | 丙申 bǐng shēn |
| 2017 | 28 January 2017 to 15 February 2018 | Fire Rooster | 丁酉 dīng yǒu |
| 2018 | 16 February 2018 to 4 February 2019 | Earth Dog | 戊戌 wù xū |
| 2019 | 5 February 2019 to 24 January 2020 | Earth Pig | 己亥 jǐ hài |
| 2020 | 25 January 2020 to 11 February 2021 | Metal Rat | 庚子 gēng zǐ |
| 2021 | 12 February 2021 to 31 January 2022 | Metal Ox | 辛丑 xīn chǒu |
| 2022 | 1 February 2022 to 21 January 2023 | Water Tiger | 壬寅 rén yín |
| 2023 | 22 January 2023 to 9 February 2024 | Water Rabbit | 癸卯 guǐ mǎo |
| 2024 | 10 February 2024 to 28 January 2025 | Wood Dragon | 甲辰 jiǎ chén |
| 2025 | 29 January 2025 to 16 February 2026 | Wood Snake | 乙巳 yǐ sì |
| 2026 | 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027 | Fire Horse | 丙午 bǐng wǔ |
| 2027 | 6 February 2027 to 25 January 2028 | Fire Goat | 丁未 dīng wèi |
| 2028 | 26 January 2028 to 12 February 2029 | Earth Monkey | 戊申 wù shēn |
| 2029 | 13 February 2029 to 2 February 2030 | Earth Rooster | 己酉 jǐ yǒu |
| 2030 | 3 February 2030 to 22 January 2031 | Metal Dog | 庚戌 gēng xū |
| 2031 | 23 January 2031 to 10 February 2032 | Metal Pig | 辛亥 xīn hài |
Frequently asked questions
How do you find the element of a Chinese zodiac year?
Look at the last digit of the year: 0 or 1 is Metal, 2 or 3 Water, 4 or 5 Wood, 6 or 7 Fire, 8 or 9 Earth. 2024 ends in 4, so it is a Wood year, the Wood Dragon (甲辰).
How long is the full zodiac cycle?
Sixty years. Twelve animals and five elements, each element covering two years in a row, only line up again after 60 years, which is why 60th birthdays are marked in Chinese culture.
What are the heavenly stems?
Ten characters (甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸) that pair with the twelve earthly branches to name each year. Each element owns two stems, one yang and one yin.
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