In Chinese astrology every year is associated with one of the five element and one of twelve specific animals. For example I could tell you that I was born in the year of the fire-horse. This should inform you about exactly how old I am, since the "year of the fire-horse" only occurs every 60:th year. Please note that the word "year" is referring to the lunar calendar, which positions the New Years Eve to some date in January or February! Written sources that I have found give some variation in the exact dates for the Chinese New-Year-Festivals. I do think that all dates below are correct, but you may find minor variations if you compare with some other pages on the Internet...

In my experience Chinese people are much more concerned about astrology than Europeans. It is rather usual that you hear people say things like "Well... He was born in the year of the Ox, so what do you expect?" or similar. People even try to plan the birth of their kids to get as good constellation of the stars as possible.

In the following pages you will find all characters and eventually also the meanings of each element and animal. You will find both modern (simplified) and traditional (complete) forms of some of the characters. I can assure you that all characters are correct.

TIP: If you want to print the pictures on paper, then set the printer to A4 Landscape!

Year	From date	To date	Element	Animal
4598	January 31, 1900	February 18, 1901	Gold	Rat
4599	February 19, 1901	February 7, 1902	Gold	Ox
4600	February 8, 1902	January 28, 1903	Water	Tiger
4601	January 29, 1903	February 15, 1904	Water	Rabbit
4602	February 16, 1904	February 3, 1905	Wood	Dragon
4603	February 4, 1905	January 24, 1906	Wood	Snake
4604	January 25, 1906	February 12, 1907	Fire	Horse
4605	February 13, 1907	February 1, 1908	Fire	Goat
4606	February 2, 1908	January 21, 1909	Earth	Monkey
4607	January 22, 1909	February 9, 1910	Earth	Rooster
4608	February 10, 1910	January 29, 1911	Gold	Dog
4609	January 30, 1911	February 17, 1912	Gold	Boar
4610	February 18, 1912	February 5, 1913	Water	Rat
4611	February 6, 1913	January 25, 1914	Water	Ox
4612	January 26, 1914	February 13, 1915	Wood	Tiger
4613	February 14, 1915	February 2, 1916	Wood	Rabbit
4614	February 3, 1916	January 22, 1917	Fire	Dragon
4615	January 23, 1917	February 10, 1918	Fire	Snake
4616	February 11, 1918	January 31, 1919	Earth	Horse
4617	February 1, 1919	February 19, 1920	Earth	Goat
4618	February 20, 1920	February 7, 1921	Gold	Monkey
4619	February 8, 1921	January 27, 1922	Gold	Rooster
4620	January 28, 1922	February 15, 1923	Water	Dog
4621	February 16, 1923	February 4, 1924	Water	Boar
4622	February 5, 1924	January 24, 1925	Wood	Rat
4623	January 25, 1925	February 12, 1926	Wood	Ox
4624	February 13, 1926	February 1, 1927	Fire	Tiger
4625	February 2, 1927	January 22, 1928	Fire	Rabbit
4626	January 23, 1928	February 9, 1929	Earth	Dragon
4627	February 10, 1929	January 29, 1930	Earth	Snake
4628	January 30, 1930	February 16, 1931	Gold	Horse
4629	February 17, 1931	February 5, 1932	Gold	Goat
4630	February 6, 1932	January 25, 1933	Water	Monkey
4631	January 26, 1933	February 13, 1934	Water	Rooster
4632	February 14, 1934	February 3, 1935	Wood	Dog
4633	February 4, 1935	January 23, 1936	Wood	Boar
4634	January 24, 1936	February 10, 1937	Fire	Rat
4635	February 11, 1937	January 30, 1938	Fire	Ox
4636	January 31, 1938	February 18, 1939	Earth	Tiger
4637	February 19, 1939	February 7, 1940	Earth	Rabbit
4638	February 8, 1940	January 26, 1941	Gold	Dragon
4639	January 27, 1941	February 14, 1942	Gold	Snake
4640	February 15, 1942	February 4, 1943	Water	Horse
4641	February 5, 1943	January 24, 1944	Water	Goat
4642	January 25, 1944	February 12, 1945	Wood	Monkey
4643	February 13, 1945	February 1, 1946	Wood	Rooster
4644	February 2, 1946	January 21, 1947	Fire	Dog
4645	January 22, 1947	February 9, 1948	Fire	Boar
4646	February 10, 1948	January 28, 1949	Earth	Rat
4647	January 29, 1949	February 16, 1950	Earth	Ox
4648	February 17, 1950	February 5, 1951	Gold	Tiger
4649	February 6, 1951	January 26, 1952	Gold	Rabbit
4650	January 27, 1952	February 13, 1953	Water	Dragon
4651	February 14, 1953	February 2, 1954	Water	Snake
4652	February 3, 1954	January 23, 1955	Wood	Horse
4653	January 24, 1955	February 11, 1956	Wood	Goat
4654	February 12, 1956	January 30, 1957	Fire	Monkey
4655	January 31, 1957	February 17, 1958	Fire	Rooster
4656	February 18, 1958	February 7, 1959	Earth	Dog
4657	February 8, 1959	January 27, 1960	Earth	Boar
4658	January 28, 1960	February 14, 1961	Gold	Rat
4659	February 15, 1961	February 4, 1962	Gold	Ox
4660	February 5, 1962	January 24, 1963	Water	Tiger
4661	January 25, 1963	February 12, 1964	Water	Rabbit
4662	February 13, 1964	February 1, 1965	Wood	Dragon
4663	February 2, 1965	January 20, 1966	Wood	Snake
4664	January 21, 1966	February 8, 1967	Fire	Horse
4665	February 9, 1967	January 29, 1968	Fire	Goat
4666	January 30, 1968	February 16, 1969	Earth	Monkey
4667	February 17, 1969	February 5, 1970	Earth	Rooster
4668	February 6, 1970	January 26, 1971	Gold	Dog
4669	January 27, 1971	February 14, 1972	Gold	Boar
4670	February 15, 1972	February 2, 1973	Water	Rat
4671	February 3, 1973	January 22, 1974	Water	Ox
4672	January 23, 1974	February 10, 1975	Wood	Tiger
4673	February 11, 1975	January 30, 1976	Wood	Rabbit
4674	January 31, 1976	February 17, 1977	Fire	Dragon
4675	February 18, 1977	February 6, 1978	Fire	Snake
4676	February 7, 1978	January 27, 1979	Earth	Horse
4677	January 28, 1979	February 15, 1980	Earth	Goat
4678	February 16, 1980	February 4, 1981	Gold	Monkey
4679	February 5, 1981	January 24, 1982	Gold	Rooster
4680	January 25, 1982	February 12, 1983	Water	Dog
4681	February 13, 1983	February 1, 1984	Water	Boar
4682	February 2, 1984	February 19, 1985	Wood	Rat
4683	February 20, 1985	February 8, 1986	Wood	Ox
4684	February 9, 1986	January 28, 1987	Fire	Tiger
4685	January 29, 1987	February 16, 1988	Fire	Rabbit
4686	February 17, 1988	February 5, 1989	Earth	Dragon
4687	February 6, 1989	January 26, 1990	Earth	Snake
4688	January 27, 1990	February 14, 1991	Gold	Horse
4689	February 15, 1991	February 3, 1992	Gold	Goat
4690	February 4, 1992	January 22, 1993	Water	Monkey
4691	January 23, 1993	February 9, 1994	Water	Rooster
4692	February 10, 1994	January 30, 1995	Wood	Dog
4693	January 31, 1995	February 18, 1996	Wood	Boar
4694	February 19, 1996	February 6, 1997	Fire	Rat
4695	February 7, 1997	January 27, 1998	Fire	Ox
4696	January 28, 1998	February 15, 1999	Earth	Tiger
4697	February 16, 1999	February 4, 2000	Earth	Rabbit
4698	February 5, 2000	January 23, 2001	Gold	Dragon
4699	January 24, 2001	February 11, 2002	Gold	Snake
4700	February 12, 2002	January 31, 2003	Water	Horse
4701	February 1, 2003	January 21, 2004	Water	Goat
4702	January 22, 2004	February 8, 2005	Wood	Monkey
4703	February 9, 2005	January 28, 2006	Wood	Rooster
4704	January 29, 2006	February 17, 2007	Fire	Dog
4705	February 18, 2007	February 6, 2008	Fire	Boar
4706	February 7, 2008	January 25, 2009	Earth	Rat
4707	January 26, 2009	February 9, 2010	Earth	Ox
4708	February 10, 2010	February 2, 2011	Gold	Tiger
4709	February 3, 2011	January 22, 2012	Gold	Rabbit
4710	January 23, 2012	February 9, 2013	Water	Dragon
4711	February 10, 2013	January 30, 2014	Water	Snake
4712	January 31, 2014	February 18, 2015	Wood	Horse
4713	February 19, 2015	February 8, 2016	Wood	Goat
4714	February 9, 2016	January 27, 2017	Fire	Monkey
4715	January 28, 2017	February 15, 2018	Fire	Rooster
4716	February 16, 2018	February 4, 2019	Earth	Dog
4717	February 5, 2019	January 24, 2020	Earth	Boar
4718	January 25, 2020		Gold	Rat

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Key Traits

Rat

Ox

Tiger

Rabbit

Dragon

Snake

Horse

Goat

Monkey

Rooster

Dog

Boar

Earth : Determined, hard-working, patient.
Gold : Strong, virtuous, demanding.
Water : Creative, easy-going, understanding.
Wood : Solid, altruistic, generous.
Fire : Energetic, dynamic, self-certain.

Please note that I can not take any responsibility if you get a tattoo with characters found anywhere on my site, among the site's links or in an e-mail from me. One single Chinese character can have many different meanings, it can belong to more than one class of words and it may have culturally "transmitted" undertones that not even the highest educated student of Chinese know about. If you want to get a tattoo, then only yourself may be held responsible for what you decide. I do not want to give any recommendations in question like this. As a matter of facts, I really want to suggest you not to tattoo Chinese characters without consulting someone that knows the Chinese language really well!