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Year of the Tiger

The Tiger ranks third in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs. Recent years of the Tiger include 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034...

People with the Chinese zodiac sign of the Tiger are confident, energetic, and natural-born leaders, but they tend to be impatient and impulsive, and sometimes suffer setbacks due to stubbornness. Their fortune in terms of career and wealth is usually fluctuating in early life but stable in old age. Additionally, if they can learn to control their temper, they can maintain good physical health. It is worth noting that 2026 is a particularly auspicious year for people with Tiger sign. They are advised to seize this opportunity to achieve breakthroughs in various areas, including career, wealth, and relationships.

How did the Tiger Become a Chinese Zodiac Sign?

Legend has it that the original Chinese zodiac signs did not include the Tiger, but rather the Lion. However, the Lion was cruel and wicked. Since no one can match the Lion in strength, he became even more arrogant and caused a great deal of trouble and disasters for all living creatures. At that time, the upright and brave Tiger had just become a guard of the Heavenly Palace thanks to his exceptional skills. Thus, the Jade Emperor, who ruled over all deities and living beings, commanded the Tiger to descend to the mortal world to resolve the chaos caused by the Lion. Surprisingly, the Tiger not only defeated the Lion but also chose to remain in the mortal realm to protect its peace. The Jade Emperor greatly recognized the Tiger’s achievements, and he revoked the Lion’s place but added the Tiger to the third position on the list of the twelve Zodiac animals.

There is also an explanation based more on the reality that goes like this: In ancient China's timekeeping method, one day is divided into 12 time slots. From 3:00 to 5:00, the third ime slot, the Tiger roams the mountains and forests, letting out roars, so it ranks third in the 12 Chinese zodiac signs.

Years of the Tiger

There is a year of the Tiger every 12 years. However, it is important to note that the cycle of the Chinese zodiac is based on the Chinese lunar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar. Specifically, each zodiac year starts on the day of the Chinese New Year and lasts till next Chinese New Year’s Eve, rather than the period from January 1 to December 31 in the Gregorian calendar.

For example, 1998 is the year of the Tiger, so people born between the Chinese New Year of 1998 and the day before the Chinese New Year of 1999, that is, from January 28, 1998, to February 15, 1999, are all Tigers.

Tiger Year	Start	End
1938	Jan.31,1938	Feb.18,1939
1950	Feb.17,1950	Feb.5,1951
1962	Feb.5,1962	Jan.24,1963
1974	Jan.23,1974	Feb.10,1975
1986	Feb.9,1986	Jan.28,1987
1998	Jan.28,1998	Feb.15,1999
2010	Feb.14,2010	Feb.2,2011
2022	Feb.1,2022	Jan.21,2023
2034	Jan.19,2034	Feb.7,2035

To make it easier for you to check if you were born in the year of the Tiger or not, you can use our search box.

Lucky / Unlucky Signs for People Born in Tiger Year

Like Western astrology signs, each Chinese zodiac sign also has its own element. The Tiger’s element is Wood. Things that nourish and strengthen wood, like blue, which is related to water, are believed to be lucky for Tigers; while things that weaken or drain wood, like red, which is related to fire, are unlucky for them. Specifically:

1. Lucky and Unlucky Numbers

Lucky numbers: 1, 3, 4
Unlucky numbers: 6, 7, 9
Recommendations:
(1) For people born in the year of the Tiger, it is favorable to schedule important activities such as signing contracts, conducting negotiations, or launching new projects at 11, 13, or 14 o’clock.
(2) When selecting mobile phone numbers, license plates, and floor numbers, you can prioritize those including numbers 1, 3, and 4 and try to avoid those ending in 6, 7, or 9.

2. Lucky and Unlucky Colors

Lucky colors: gray, blue, white, orange
Unlucky colors: red, golden, silver, black
Recommendations:
(1) To improve luck, Tigers can wear gray, blue, white, or orange clothing frequently and use home decorations, such as curtains and carpets, in these colors. For those planning to buy a car, consider choosing one of these colors.
(2) To avoid bad luck as much as possible, it is recommended that Tigers avoid wearing clothing with large areas of gold, silver, or black on important occasions, and also try not to use home decorations with large areas of these colors.

3. Lucky Flowers

Cineraria and Anthurium are considered lucky flowers for people with the Chinese zodiac of the Tiger. Placing these two kinds of flowers at home or on the office desk is favorable for the Tigers to get a prosperous career and peaceful emotions.

4. Lucky Directions

East, southeast, and south are considered the luckiest directions for them. In office or study room, having the desk or worktable facing these directions can improve their efficiency; in negotiations, choosing a seat in these directions can boost their confidence; in bedroom, placing bed oriented toward these directions can help improve sleep quality; and for travel, focusing on destinations located in these directions from their starting point can make their journey smoother.

Personality of People with the Chinese Zodiac of Tiger

Since the element for the Chinese zodiac sign of the Tiger is wood, people born in the year of the Tiger carry the trait of Wood in their personality. In Chinese culture, Wood represents not only trees. In a positive sense, Wood shows a thriving, developed, and upward state; while, in a negative sense, if the force for thriving is too strong, it will become an uncontrollable impulse. Accordingly, in terms of personality, Tigers generally crave achievement and have a straightforward and confident personality, but at the same time, they may be impulsive, lack patience, and have a strong desire for control.

Strengths
1. Brave and determined: Tigers are willing to take risks and fight for their goals, decisive and responsible when facing matters, and strong under pressure.
2. Leadership-oriented: People with the Chinese zodiac sign of the Tiger are independent, strong in decision-making, never blindly following, and good at rallying others.
3. Loyal and righteous: They are always sincere and righteous to others, leaving an impression of being reliable and trustworthy.
4. Enthusiastic and straightforward: Being outgoing, Tigers usually show infectious enthusiasm. Besides, they act with integrity and have no scheming.
5. Strong execution capability: Tigers can handle tasks efficiently and never procrastinate.

Weaknesses
1. Impatient and impulsive: They are prone to rapid emotional outbursts and speaking bluntly, which easily hurts others. Besides, they are prone to losing interest in something quickly.
2. Stubborn and conceited: An obvious weakness of the Tigers is that they are likely to be stubborn and unwilling to listen to others’ opinions.
3. Excessive self-esteem: Tigers are usually intolerant of criticism and think it’s very embarrassing, which will make themselves stressful.
4. Authoritative and domineering: Sometimes, they will show a strong desire for control, making others feel oppressed.

Personality of Tiger Men

Most of the Tiger men are optimistic and ambitious. They are not satisfied with the status quo and strive for excellence. Even when encountering difficulties, they will not give up easily, but hold on and struggle forward. Besides, they never break promises once giving their word.

Personality of Tiger Women

Tiger women are good at taking care of family members. They are loved by children and can always get along well with them by playing games and telling stories. They also enjoy life and love various parties and outdoor activities. Rather than staying alone, they prefer to stay with people.

Personality of the Tiger Born in Different Years

In fact, not only each Chinese zodiac has its own element, but each year also is related to an element: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire or Earth, forming a 60-year big cycle. For example, the element for the year 1998 is Earth. Therefore, in addition to the basic personality traits mentioned above, people born in different years of the Tiger will also have some different personality traits, which are brought about by the element corresponding to that year. For example, Tigers born in 1998 are bound to have the aforementioned personality traits, such as impulsiveness; however, Earth, the element corresponding to the year 1998, brings them some other influences, such as buffering their impulses and making them appear a little more stable.

Year of Birth	Element of Heavenly Stem	Personality
1938, 1998	Earth Tiger	They are generally kind, generous, pragmatic, and steady. However, sometimes they appear overly conservative.
1950, 2010	Metal Tiger	Strong execution capability and loyalty are their most prominent strengths, but on the other hand, Metal Tigers may be a bit difficult to communicate with.
1962, 2022	Water Tiger	Water Tigers have good eloquence, strong willpower, and a strong sense of justice. Their disadvantage is that their emotions fluctuate greatly, and sometimes they can be a bit domineering.
1974, 2034	Wood Tiger	Being empathetic and loyal makes it easy for them to make friends, but they don’t like to be constrained by relationships or any things and tend to be idealistic.
1986, 2046	Fire Tiger	The most prominent features of Fire Tigers are passion, intelligence, and strong initiative. They are prone to impulsive mistakes due to arrogance or temptation.

Famous People: Tiger Zodiac Eminent Personalities

Marilyn Monroe (Actress): June 1, 1926, Fire Tiger
Tom Cruise (Actor): July 3, 1962, Water Tiger
Stephen Chow (Actor): June 22, 1962, Water Tiger
Leonardo DiCaprio (Actor): November 11, 1974, Wood Tiger
Lady Gaga (Singer): March 28, 1986, Fire Tiger
Shawn Mendes (Singer): August 8, 1998, Earth Tiger

Love Compatibility of the Tiger

As mentioned above, people born in the year of the Tiger tend to be brave, confident, adventurous, and leadership-oriented. Based on this, people who can tolerate their arbitrariness, appreciate their boldness, and keep up with their pace are generally a good match for them; conversely, those who are equally arbitrary or have an opposite approach to life with them are more likely to clash with them frequently.

Want to know the relationship between the Tiger and other zodiac signs? Read the detailed instructions below, or use our search box to find the exact matching ratings between you and another person.

The Three Zodiac Signs Most Compatible with the Tiger

1. Pig - Perfect Match for the Tiger
The gentleness and casualness of Pigs perfectly accommodate the impatience and dominance of Tigers. Pigs don’t like to compete and are happy to let Tigers make decisions, while Tigers also need a partner who doesn’t challenge their authority. Thus, they can usually achieve a stable and harmonious marriage.

2. Horse - Soulmate for the Tiger
As both action-oriented individuals, the Tiger and Horse share the same path and are very compatible. The decisiveness of the Tiger can stimulate the potential of the Horse, and the agility of the Horse can dissolve the impulse of the Tiger. As time passes by, they usually become more and more compatible.

3. Dog - Complementary Companion with the Tiger
Dogs are one of the most loyal and responsible among the twelve zodiac animals, which is exactly the quality that Tigers value the most. In addition, the caution and conservatism of Dogs can perfectly balance the adventure and aggressiveness of Tigers. So, they are an ideal combination that can support each other.

Zodiac Signs with Moderate Compatibility with the Tiger

People with the Chinese zodiac of Tiger usually have moderate compatibility with those born in the year of the Rat, Rabbit, Dragon, Sheep, Rooster, Ox, or Tiger. They usually appreciate each other, but at the same time, due to differences in their way of thinking, they may experience frequent friction. If they can respect each other’s differences, communicate bravely, and work together towards a common goal, they will ultimately have a good relationship.

The Zodiac Signs Least Compatible with the Tiger

1. Monkey
Both the Tiger and the Monkey are strong-willed and want to be the leader of the relationship. As neither of them is willing to obey the other, it easily leads to constant conflicts and mutual consumption.

2. Snake
The Tiger is outgoing, while the Snake is reserved. On the surface, they seem to complement each other, but actually, their underlying values and approaches to life are rife with contradictions. Each finds the other difficult to understand, and their relationship is marked by underlying rivalry and emotional drain, making them a challenging combination.

Careers for Tigers

Those born in the year of the Tiger possess innate leadership qualities, courage, and a pioneering spirit, making them well-suited for roles such as corporate executives or project managers, and also careers in politics or the legal profession. With their active minds, they excel in fields such as culture, media, and design. As risk-takers, those Tigers are well-suited for entrepreneurship or for making their mark in roles such as marketing, public relations, and sales.

For Tigers, the period before age 35 is a time of exploration and venturing. During this phase, their fortune in terms of careers fluctuates significantly, and they may experience many trials and setbacks. Seeking advice from others can help them navigate this period more smoothly. The years between 35 and 50 mark the golden age of their career development, when some achievements will be gained. After the age of 50, those with the Chinese zodiac sign of the Tiger can still see growth in their overall stable career.

Finance for Tigers

Tigers usually possess some abilities to make money, but their financial situation is relatively volatile due to impulsive spending. Specifically, before the age of 35, while they earn a decent income, they find it difficult to save money. Between the ages of 35 and 50, their income from work and other sources rises steadily, and their investment fortunes are also favorable. If they can control their spending, they can gradually accumulate some fortune. After age 50, their wealth stabilizes, and they will live a relatively rich life.

For those born in the year of the Tiger, it is essential to avoid making impulsive decisions, as they are prone to financial losses resulting from investments or partnerships starting on a whim.

Health for Tigers

Tiger people are naturally energetic and physically robust, but they tend to be impatient and highly competitive, which can lead to health risks due to overwork and emotional fluctuations. In their youth, they often experience minor injuries and illnesses, and they should be particularly careful of bumps and sprains during sports or travel. Additionally, staying up late is a serious issue that they should solve. As they enter middle age, stress increases, making it essential for them to focus on preventing issues related to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health, the liver and gallbladder, and blood pressure. Impatience and the tendency to tough it out when dealing with minor ailments can easily lead to serious health problems.

Overall, if those born in the year of the Tiger can learn to be patient and manage their emotions and undergo regular health checkups, they can maintain good health.

Tiger’s Fortune in 2026

In 2026, people born with the Tiger sign of the Chinese zodiac are lucky on all sides. They would be rewarded with a higher position in their profession at work as a model employee. Wealth luck is great, as they would receive higher salaries. Entrepreneurs could expand their business and win higher revenue. Singles may fall in love with someone nice. Although the health situation is not bad, there is a possibility of a relapse and small gastrointestinal issues. It is not advised to engage in strenuous exercise.