The 12 Japanese Zodiac Animals
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig: personality, compatibility and years.
| Animal | Branch | Branch element | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | Ne (子) | Water | 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 |
| Ox | Ushi (丑) | Earth | 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 |
| Tiger | Tora (寅) | Wood | 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 |
| Rabbit | U (卯) | Wood | 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 |
| Dragon | Tatsu (辰) | Earth | 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 |
| Snake | Mi (巳) | Fire | 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 |
| Horse | Uma (午) | Fire | 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 |
| Goat | Hitsuji (未) | Earth | 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 |
| Monkey | Saru (申) | Metal | 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 |
| Rooster | Tori (酉) | Metal | 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 |
| Dog | Inu (戌) | Earth | 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 |
| Pig | I (亥) | Water | 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019 |
Each year begins at Risshun (around 4 February), the start of spring in the solar calendar. In China and Korea the animal is popularly counted from Lunar New Year instead, so people born between January and mid-February may see a different animal elsewhere.