2021: Year of the Ox – Chinese Animal Signs

The ox is one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac (Shēngxiào, or 生肖), which is based on a 12-year cycle. The Year of the Ox begins on Chinese New Year, ending the Year of the Rat.

People born in the Year of the Ox are traditionally considered to be honest, hard working, trustworthy, and logical.

2022: Year of the Tiger

The following year in the Chinese zodiac is the Year of the Tiger, which starts on February 1, 2022 and ends on January 21, 2023, when the Year of the Rabbit begins.

What Year Is What Animal?

The zodiac starts with the Year of the Rat and cycles continuously through the 12 signs.

What is my Chinese zodiac animal? (Click to expand)What is my Chinese zodiac animal? (Click to collapse)

Zi (Rat)

Imaginative, generous, successful, popular, curious

• Feb 10, 1948 – Jan 28, 1949
• Jan 28, 1960 – Feb 14, 1961
• Feb 15, 1972 – Feb 2, 1973
• Feb 2, 1984 – Feb 19, 1985
• Feb 19, 1996 – Feb 6, 1997
• Feb 7, 2008 – Jan 25, 2009
• Jan 25, 2020 – Feb 11, 2021

Chou (Ox)

Confident, honest, patient, conservative, strong

• Jan 29, 1949 – Feb 16, 1950
• Feb 15, 1961 – Feb 4, 1962
• Feb 3, 1973 – Jan 22, 1974
• Feb 20, 1985 – Feb 8, 1986
• Feb 7, 1997 – Jan 27, 1998
• Jan 26, 2009 – Feb 13, 2010
• Feb 12, 2021 – Jan 31, 2022

Yin (Tiger)

Sensitive, tolerant, brave, active, resilient

• Feb 17, 1950 – Feb 5, 1951
• Feb 5, 1962 – Jan 24, 1963
• Jan 23, 1974 – Feb 10, 1975
• Feb 9, 1986 – Jan 28, 1987
• Jan 28, 1998 – Feb 15, 1999
• Feb 14, 2010 – Feb 2, 2011
• Feb 1, 2022 – Jan 21, 2023

Mao (Rabbit)

Affectionate, kind, gentle, compassionate, merciful

• Feb 6, 1951 – Jan 26, 1952
• Jan 25, 1963 – Feb 12, 1964
• Feb 11, 1975 – Jan 30, 1976
• Jan 29, 1987 – Feb 16, 1988
• Feb 16, 1999 – Feb 4, 2000
• Feb 3, 2011 – Jan 22, 2012
• Jan 22, 2023 – Feb 9, 2024

Chen (Dragon)

Enthusiastic, intelligent, lively, energetic, innovative

• Jan 27, 1952 – Feb 13, 1953
• Feb 13, 1964 – Feb 1, 1965
• Jan 31, 1976 – Feb 17, 1977
• Feb 17, 1988 – Feb 5, 1989
• Feb 5, 2000 – Jan 23, 2001
• Jan 23, 2012 – Feb 9, 2013
• Feb 10, 2024 – Jan 28, 2025

Si (Snake)

Charming, intuitive, romantic, highly perceptive, polite

• Feb 14, 1953 – Feb 2, 1954
• Feb 2, 1965 – Jan 20, 1966
• Feb 18, 1977 – Feb 6, 1978
• Feb 6, 1989 – Jan 26, 1990
• Jan 24, 2001 – Feb 11, 2002
• Feb 10, 2013 – Jan 30, 2014
• Jan 29, 2025 – Feb 16, 2026

Wu (Horse)

Diligent, friendly, sophisticated, talented, clever

• Feb 3, 1954 – Jan 23, 1955
• Jan 21, 1966 – Feb 8, 1967
• Feb 7, 1978 – Jan 27, 1979
• Jan 27, 1990 – Feb 14, 1991
• Feb 12, 2002 – Jan 31, 2003
• Jan 31, 2014 – Feb 18, 2015
• Feb 17, 2026 – Feb 5, 2027

Wei (Sheep)

Artistic, calm, reserved, happy, kind

• Jan 24, 1955 – Feb 11, 1956
• Feb 9, 1967 – Jan 29, 1968
• Jan 28, 1979 – Feb 15, 1980
• Feb 15, 1991 – Feb 3, 1992
• Feb 1, 2003 – Jan 21, 2004
• Feb 19, 2015 – Feb 7, 2016
• Feb 6, 2027 – Jan 25, 2028

Shen (Monkey)

Witty, lively, flexible, humorous, curious

• Feb 12, 1956 – Jan 30, 1957
• Jan 30, 1968 – Feb 16, 1969
• Feb 16, 1980 – Feb 4, 1981
• Feb 4, 1992 – Jan 22, 1993
• Jan 22, 2004 – Feb 8, 2005
• Feb 8, 2016 – Jan 27, 2017
• Jan 26, 2028 – Feb 12, 2029

You (Rooster)

Shrewd, honest, communicative, motivated, punctual

• Jan 31, 1957 – Feb 17, 1958
• Feb 17, 1969 – Feb 5, 1970
• Feb 5, 1981 – Jan 24, 1982
• Jan 23, 1993 – Feb 9, 1994
• Feb 9, 2005 – Jan 28, 2006
• Jan 28, 2017 – Feb 15, 2018
• Feb 13, 2029 – Feb 2, 2030

Xu (Dog)

Loyal, honest, responsible, courageous, warm-hearted

• Feb 18, 1958 – Feb 8, 1959
• Feb 6, 1970 – Jan 26, 1971
• Jan 25, 1982 - Feb 12, 1983
• Feb 10, 1994 – Jan 30, 1995
• Jan 29, 2006 – Feb 17, 2007
• Feb 16, 2018 – Feb 4, 2019
• Feb 3, 2030 – Jan 22, 2031

Hai (Boar/Pig)

Sincere, tolerant, hard-working, honest, optimistic

• Feb 8, 1959 – Jan 27, 1960
• Jan 27, 1971 - Feb 14, 1972
• Feb 13, 1983 - Feb 1, 1984
• Jan 31, 1995 - Feb 18, 1996
• Feb 18, 2007 - Feb 6, 2008
• Feb 5, 2019 – Jan 24, 2020
• Jan 23, 2031 – Feb 10, 2032

12 Animals and 5 Elements

Each of the 12 years in the Chinese zodiac cycle is represented by an animal and is associated with one of five elemental signs: wood, earth, fire, water, and metal. The Year of the Ox is associated with metal.

Zodiac and Human Connections

According to the Chinese zodiac, your birth year tells you more than just your age. Not only is one's personality affected by the animal associated with their birth year, but the compatibility of their relationships also depends on their zodiac.

Starts with the Spring Festival

In China, the start of a new year is celebrated with a Spring Festival, the biggest holiday of the year. Traditionally, people give their house a big spring clean and hang couplets on their doors. Couplets are poetic lines about spring and prosperity written in gold or black on red paper.

Holidays in China

Setting off firecrackers is hugely popular, and children get hongbao, little red gifts with money inside, from older family members.

The Chinese Calendar

The animal signs in the Chinese zodiac are calculated in accordance with the Chinese calendar, which is lunisolar and is based on astronomical observances of the Sun's longitude and the Moon's phases.

This calendar is older than the Gregorian calendar, which is used by most countries today. In fact, the Chinese calendar's origins can be traced as far back as the 14th century BCE.

Leap years in the Chinese calendar happen approximately every three years when they add a leap month.