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Chinese Zodiac

The Chinese zodiac, also known as Shengxiao, is a traditional Chinese system that uses 12 animals to mark the years and calculate age. Specifically, the 12 animals - Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig - cycle in a fixed order, with each year corresponding to one animal. The animal corresponding to a person’s year of birth is their zodiac animal sign. The Chinese zodiac also carries rich cultural connotations, including personality analysis, fortune-telling, and marriage compatibility guidance, similar to Western astrology.

2026 is the year of the Horse according to the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing passion, drive, and vitality. It starts from February 17, 2026, the day of the Chinese New Year, and ends on February 5, 2027. Those born during this period are of the Horse zodiac sign and are generally characterized by an outgoing, independent, and freedom-loving personality.

Origin of the Chinese Zodiac

Why are these 12 animals selected as the Chinese zodiac? Legend has it that a long time ago, the Jade Emperor, the supreme ruler who presides over the three realms of heaven, earth, and humanity in Chinese mythology, wanted to find a simple way to mark the years in the mortal world, so he decided to choose twelve animals to serve as the “Zodiac Ambassadors.” He proclaimed to the world: on the first day of the first lunar month, the animals were to compete in a river-crossing race, and the first twelve to reach the finish line would become the twelve zodiac animal signs.

The honest Ox swam the fastest, but the clever Rat had been hiding on its back the whole time. Just before the finish line, the Rat leaped down and snatched first place, leaving the Ox to settle for second. The Tiger, relying on its brute strength and speed, swam vigorously to the other side and claimed third place. The Rabbit, using its agility, hopped onto a floating log and crossed the river with ease, taking fourth place. The Dragon, though a divine beast, was delayed along the way while bringing rain to the villagers, so it arrived in fifth place. The Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, and Rooster followed closely behind. The Dog played as it swam and finished in eleventh place. The Pig, greedy for food and sleep, was delayed along the way and arrived last, taking twelfth place.

Originally, the Cat also had a chance to become one of the twelve zodiac signs. It had agreed with its good friend, the Rat, that on the day of the race, the Rat would wake it up. But when the day of the race arrived, the Rat thought to itself, “The Cat runs faster than I do. If it goes, won’t I lose?” So, instead of waking the Cat, the Rat secretly entered the race itself. By the time the Cat woke up, the race was long over. The Cat was furious, and from then on, the two became natural enemies.

Read more: Chinese Zodiac Origin & Stories

Video of Chinese Zodiac Story

What Is My Chinese Zodiac Sign?

Simply put, the zodiac animal for the year of your birth is your zodiac sign. For example, 2026 is the year of the Horse, so anyone born in that year has the Horse as their zodiac sign.

However, it is important to note that the start and end of a Chinese zodiac year are marked by the Chinese lunar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar. The first day of the first lunar month - which generally falls between late January and mid-February on the Gregorian calendar and marks the Chinese New Year - is the point at which the zodiac signs change.

Specifically, if you were born after the Chinese New Year, including the day itself, your zodiac sign is the zodiac animal of the current year. If you were born before the Chinese New Year, even though it has already entered a new year according to the Gregorian calendar, your zodiac sign remains that of the previous year. For example, the zodiac sign for someone born on February 1, 2008, is not the Rat but the Pig, the zodiac of 2007. This is because the Chinese New Year of 2008 did not arrive until February 7, and only those born on or after that date are considered Rats. If you are not sure about how to calculate your Chinese zodiac sign, you can search using our zodiac calculator.

Zodiac Animal	Recent Years
Rat	1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Ox	1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Tiger	1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Rabbit	1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Dragon	1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036
Snake	1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037
Horse	1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038
Sheep	1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039
Monkey	1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040
Rooster	1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041
Dog	1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042
Pig	1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043

Read more: Chinese Zodiac Years Chart, How to Calculate Your Chinese Zodiac Sign.

As mentioned above, you can think of the Chinese zodiac as the Chinese equivalent of Western astrology. Just as Western astrology can be used to analyze personality and fortune, the Chinese zodiac serves similar functions:

Personality

The 12 Chinese zodiac signs were originally created to keep track of the years and mark people’s ages, but over time, people noticed an interesting phenomenon: it seemed that people with a certain zodiac sign did indeed exhibit some of that animal’s characteristics in their personalities. For example, the most famous trait of the Rat is its cleverness, and people born in the year of the Rat are typically quick-witted and full of ideas; the Ox is always hardworking and diligent, so people born in the year of the Ox are considered hardworking and patient. Therefore, once you know someone’s zodiac sign, you can make an educated guess about their personality traits.

The Rat: quick-witted, quick-thinking, and highly adaptable
The Ox: diligent, honest, patient, and highly responsible
The Tiger: brave, decisive, upright, trustworthy, and self-respecting
The Rabbit: gentle, optimistic, considerate
The Dragon: full of energy, creative, confident, and brave
The Snake: resourceful, calm, with keen insight
The Horse: passionate, free-spirited, and highly proactive
The Sheep: gentle, compassionate, and peace-loving
The Monkey: intelligent, lively, witty, and highly curious
The Rooster: diligent, trustworthy, and detail-oriented
The Dog: loyal, brave, kind, and with a strong sense of justice
The Pig: good-natured, lovable, optimistic, and kind-hearted

2026 Fortune

Each year’s corresponding zodiac sign is known as the “Tai Sui” for that year, that is, the guardian God for everything. For example, 2026 is the year of the Horse, so the Horse is the Tai Sui for that year. The relationship between your zodiac sign and Tai Sui determines your luck for the year, including that in terms of your career, wealth, love and relationships, and health. It is important to note that if your zodiac sign is the same as the Tai Sui of that year, the year is your “Ben Ming Nian”, when you will encounter difficulties in various aspects of life.

Well then, what is the luck for the 12 Chinese zodiac signs in 2026?

Rat’s 2026 Horoscope
In 2026, those born in the year of the Rat will face an uneven year, with the potential for significant setbacks in various areas of life. You should be prepared to handle unexpected challenges. Emotions will be volatile this year, so it is especially important to adjust your mindset promptly to minimize the impact of negative emotions actively.

Ox’s 2026 Horoscope
People born in the year of the Ox will face a challenging year ahead, encountering numerous difficulties such as dealing with troublesome colleagues at work, the trials and tribulations of moving, and health problems. Your financial prospects will also not look promising.

Tiger’s 2026 Horoscope
Your fortune in 2026 will be excellent: nearly all things will go smoothly, and you will enjoy success in both your career and finances.

Rabbit’s 2026 Horoscope
You will not be very lucky this year. For instance, you may encounter complicated interpersonal relationships as well as ups and downs in marriage and romance. Whether at work or in daily life, those born in the year of the Rabbit will be extremely prone to verbal conflicts with others in 2026.

Dragon’s 2026 Horoscope
Your overall fortune in 2026 is quite good. There is no need to worry about anything particularly bad happening. However, you might need to exercise more patience when dealing with your partner.

Snake’s 2026 Horoscope
Your fortune is average. New opportunities will arise in career, wealth, and love, but you may need to work hard to seize them and learn to handle pressure. Pay special attention to your health.

Horse’s 2026 Horoscope
In your Ben Ming Nian, you may face many misfortunes, and overall fortune is rather poor. It’s recommended to maintain a positive mindset and be cautious and careful when handling various matters.

Sheep’s 2026 Horoscope
2026 will be a lucky year for those born in the year of the Sheep, and almost everything will unfold as you hope. No matter what opportunities arise, seize them proactively and dare to try.

Monkey’s 2026 Horoscope
2026 is a year of both opportunities and challenges for those born in the year of the Monkey. There will be promising opportunities across many areas, and as long as you work diligently, you can successfully capitalize on them. However, there will also be some minor challenges, requiring you to maintain a calm and positive attitude.

Rooster’s 2026 Horoscope
Your overall fortune is decent in 2026, especially in matters of love, and singles can look forward to entering a promising relationship. Other aspects remain generally stable; though minor issues may arise occasionally.

Dog’s 2026 Horoscope
Your fortunes in terms of study, career, and finances will be excellent, and you can expect to accumulate wealth this year. Though you might need to pay a bit more attention to love and health, there won’t be any major challenges.

Pig’s 2026 Horoscope
Your financial and health fortunes are quite favorable, but some setbacks may show up in your career and relationships.

Chinese Zodiac Compatibility

Can you tell if two people are compatible based on their zodiac signs? Absolutely. In China, there is a folk tradition of using zodiac signs to determine whether two people, especially couples, will get along harmoniously, known as zodiac compatibility.

In the past, zodiac compatibility was a top priority in marriage, and virtually every family would first check whether the zodiac signs of a couple were compatible. If the zodiac signs were incompatible, elders would believe the couple would frequently argue and face difficulties after marriage, and thus consider them unsuitable for marriage. Back then, zodiac compatibility was not merely a folk custom but more like a marriage screening criterion that influenced the life-changing decisions of many people. Today, however, people’s attitudes toward zodiac compatibility have changed completely. Most Chinese people now view it as a fun test rather than a serious standard for choosing a partner.

So, how to test compatibility based on the Chinese zodiac? As mentioned above, people of different zodiac signs have different personalities and auras, and how well these personalities and auras mesh determines whether two people can get along well. For example, people believed that the Ox is honest and patient, while the Rat is clever and agile. These two personalities complement each other, so when paired together, they can be tolerant of one another and help each other succeed. Want to know which zodiac signs are most compatible and least compatible with yours? Both the table below and the search box can help you find the answers.

Chinese Zodiac Signs	Best Match	Worst Match
Rat	Ox, Monkey, Dragon	Horse
Ox	Rat, Snake, Rooster	Sheep
Tiger	Dog, Horse, Pig	Monkey
Rabbit	Dog, Pig, Sheep	Rooster
Dragon	Rooster, Rat, Monkey	Dog
Snake	Monkey, Rooster, Ox	Pig
Horse	Sheep, Tiger, Dog	Rat
Sheep	Horse, Rabbit, Pig	Ox
Monkey	Snake, Rat, Dragon	Tiger
Rooster	Dragon, Snake, Ox	Rabbit
Dog	Rabbit, Tiger, Horse	Dragon
Pig	Tiger, Rabbit, Sheep	Snake

The Most Welcomed Chinese Zodiac Sign

From a fortune-telling perspective, no zodiac sign is the luckiest or the unluckiest forever. One zodiac sign may be unlucky this year but lucky the next. However, because each zodiac sign carries different auspicious meanings and personality traits, there is a popularity ranking for zodiac signs in Chinese folklore. This preference is primarily reflected in birth rates: many people will calculate the time and try to give birth to a baby in the years with welcomed zodiac signs and avoid years with unwelcomed ones.

Most Popular - Dragon

Among the 12 zodiac signs, the Dragon is by far the most popular, as it is the totem of the Chinese nation and symbolizes power, good fortune, and success. For this reason, many couples hope to have a baby born in the years of the Dragon, leading to a peak in births during those years.

Very Popular - Tiger, Pig, Rabbit

The Tiger is the king of beasts and symbolizes courage, the Pig is honest and brings good fortune, and the Rabbit is intelligent and gentle, so they are also relatively welcomed.

Moderately Popular - Ox, Horse, Monkey, Rooster, Dog

Less Popular - Snake, Rat

The Snake is considered cold-blooded and mysterious, while the Rat is considered cunning and timid, making them less popular.

Least Popular - Sheep

Folklore suggests that those born in the year of the Sheep tend to have an overall bad fate. Besides, they are usually very docile, making them easy targets for bullying. As a result, many couples choose to skip the year of the Sheep and try to have children earlier or later. The birth rate during the year of the Sheep is significantly lower than in other years. In the past, some people even avoided marrying someone born in the year of the Sheep.