The element you think is yours probably is not
About you · 6 min read · Updated 2 October 2026
In short
Every year in the Chinese calendar pairs an animal with one of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal or water. 1990 was a metal horse, 1984 a wood rat, and 2026 is a fire horse. That pairing is what most sites mean by your element, and the table below has every year from 1924 to 2043. But a year's element is shared by everyone born in it. In a full chart, the element that stands for you comes from the day you were born, and four times out of five it is a different one.
How a year gets its element
The Chinese calendar counts years with two cycles running side by side. One is the twelve animals, from the Rat to the Pig. The other is the ten heavenly stems, which are the five elements in two forms each, a yang one and a yin one. Each year takes the next animal and the next stem, so the same pair only comes round again after sixty years. 1966 and 2026 are both fire horse years for exactly that reason.
Because the stems come in pairs, each element covers two years in a row, yang first and then yin. 2024 and 2025 were wood (a dragon, then a snake), 2026 and 2027 are fire (a horse, then a goat), and 2028 and 2029 will be earth.
The last-digit shortcut
The last digit of the year gives the element away: 0 or 1 is metal, 2 or 3 is water, 4 or 5 is wood, 6 or 7 is fire, 8 or 9 is earth. Even years are yang and odd years are yin. It works for every year in the table below, as long as you remember that the year changes in early February, not on 1 January.
Find your year
Each row gives the sign, its two characters, the moment that year begins in a Bazi chart (China time) and the date of Chinese New Year.
| Year | Sign | Characters | Starts in a Bazi chart | Chinese New Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Yang Wood Rat | 甲子 | 5 Feb 09:50 | 5 Feb |
| 1925 | Yin Wood Ox | 乙丑 | 4 Feb 15:37 | 24 Jan |
| 1926 | Yang Fire Tiger | 丙寅 | 4 Feb 21:38 | 13 Feb |
| 1927 | Yin Fire Rabbit | 丁卯 | 5 Feb 03:30 | 2 Feb |
| 1928 | Yang Earth Dragon | 戊辰 | 5 Feb 09:16 | 23 Jan |
| 1929 | Yin Earth Snake | 己巳 | 4 Feb 15:09 | 10 Feb |
| 1930 | Yang Metal Horse | 庚午 | 4 Feb 20:51 | 30 Jan |
| 1931 | Yin Metal Goat | 辛未 | 5 Feb 02:41 | 17 Feb |
| 1932 | Yang Water Monkey | 壬申 | 5 Feb 08:29 | 6 Feb |
| 1933 | Yin Water Rooster | 癸酉 | 4 Feb 14:09 | 26 Jan |
| 1934 | Yang Wood Dog | 甲戌 | 4 Feb 20:04 | 14 Feb |
| 1935 | Yin Wood Pig | 乙亥 | 5 Feb 01:49 | 4 Feb |
| 1936 | Yang Fire Rat | 丙子 | 5 Feb 07:29 | 24 Jan |
| 1937 | Yin Fire Ox | 丁丑 | 4 Feb 13:26 | 11 Feb |
| 1938 | Yang Earth Tiger | 戊寅 | 4 Feb 19:15 | 31 Jan |
| 1939 | Yin Earth Rabbit | 己卯 | 5 Feb 01:10 | 19 Feb |
| 1940 | Yang Metal Dragon | 庚辰 | 5 Feb 07:08 | 8 Feb |
| 1941 | Yin Metal Snake | 辛巳 | 4 Feb 12:50 | 27 Jan |
| 1942 | Yang Water Horse | 壬午 | 4 Feb 18:49 | 15 Feb |
| 1943 | Yin Water Goat | 癸未 | 5 Feb 00:40 | 5 Feb |
| 1944 | Yang Wood Monkey | 甲申 | 5 Feb 06:23 | 25 Jan |
| 1945 | Yin Wood Rooster | 乙酉 | 4 Feb 12:19 | 13 Feb |
| 1946 | Yang Fire Dog | 丙戌 | 4 Feb 18:04 | 2 Feb |
| 1947 | Yin Fire Pig | 丁亥 | 4 Feb 23:50 | 22 Jan |
| 1948 | Yang Earth Rat | 戊子 | 5 Feb 05:42 | 10 Feb |
| 1949 | Yin Earth Ox | 己丑 | 4 Feb 11:23 | 29 Jan |
| 1950 | Yang Metal Tiger | 庚寅 | 4 Feb 17:21 | 17 Feb |
| 1951 | Yin Metal Rabbit | 辛卯 | 4 Feb 23:13 | 6 Feb |
| 1952 | Yang Water Dragon | 壬辰 | 5 Feb 04:53 | 27 Jan |
| 1953 | Yin Water Snake | 癸巳 | 4 Feb 10:46 | 14 Feb |
| 1954 | Yang Wood Horse | 甲午 | 4 Feb 16:31 | 3 Feb |
| 1955 | Yin Wood Goat | 乙未 | 4 Feb 22:18 | 24 Jan |
| 1956 | Yang Fire Monkey | 丙申 | 5 Feb 04:12 | 12 Feb |
| 1957 | Yin Fire Rooster | 丁酉 | 4 Feb 09:55 | 31 Jan |
| 1958 | Yang Earth Dog | 戊戌 | 4 Feb 15:49 | 18 Feb |
| 1959 | Yin Earth Pig | 己亥 | 4 Feb 21:42 | 8 Feb |
| 1960 | Yang Metal Rat | 庚子 | 5 Feb 03:23 | 28 Jan |
| 1961 | Yin Metal Ox | 辛丑 | 4 Feb 09:22 | 15 Feb |
| 1962 | Yang Water Tiger | 壬寅 | 4 Feb 15:17 | 5 Feb |
| 1963 | Yin Water Rabbit | 癸卯 | 4 Feb 21:08 | 25 Jan |
| 1964 | Yang Wood Dragon | 甲辰 | 5 Feb 03:05 | 13 Feb |
| 1965 | Yin Wood Snake | 乙巳 | 4 Feb 08:46 | 2 Feb |
| 1966 | Yang Fire Horse | 丙午 | 4 Feb 14:38 | 21 Jan |
| 1967 | Yin Fire Goat | 丁未 | 4 Feb 20:31 | 9 Feb |
| 1968 | Yang Earth Monkey | 戊申 | 5 Feb 02:07 | 30 Jan |
| 1969 | Yin Earth Rooster | 己酉 | 4 Feb 07:59 | 17 Feb |
| 1970 | Yang Metal Dog | 庚戌 | 4 Feb 13:46 | 6 Feb |
| 1971 | Yin Metal Pig | 辛亥 | 4 Feb 19:25 | 27 Jan |
| 1972 | Yang Water Rat | 壬子 | 5 Feb 01:20 | 15 Feb |
| 1973 | Yin Water Ox | 癸丑 | 4 Feb 07:04 | 3 Feb |
| 1974 | Yang Wood Tiger | 甲寅 | 4 Feb 13:00 | 23 Jan |
| 1975 | Yin Wood Rabbit | 乙卯 | 4 Feb 18:59 | 11 Feb |
| 1976 | Yang Fire Dragon | 丙辰 | 5 Feb 00:39 | 31 Jan |
| 1977 | Yin Fire Snake | 丁巳 | 4 Feb 06:33 | 18 Feb |
| 1978 | Yang Earth Horse | 戊午 | 4 Feb 12:27 | 7 Feb |
| 1979 | Yin Earth Goat | 己未 | 4 Feb 18:12 | 28 Jan |
| 1980 | Yang Metal Monkey | 庚申 | 5 Feb 00:09 | 16 Feb |
| 1981 | Yin Metal Rooster | 辛酉 | 4 Feb 05:55 | 5 Feb |
| 1982 | Yang Water Dog | 壬戌 | 4 Feb 11:45 | 25 Jan |
| 1983 | Yin Water Pig | 癸亥 | 4 Feb 17:40 | 13 Feb |
| 1984 | Yang Wood Rat | 甲子 | 4 Feb 23:19 | 2 Feb |
| 1985 | Yin Wood Ox | 乙丑 | 4 Feb 05:12 | 20 Feb |
| 1986 | Yang Fire Tiger | 丙寅 | 4 Feb 11:08 | 9 Feb |
| 1987 | Yin Fire Rabbit | 丁卯 | 4 Feb 16:52 | 29 Jan |
| 1988 | Yang Earth Dragon | 戊辰 | 4 Feb 22:43 | 17 Feb |
| 1989 | Yin Earth Snake | 己巳 | 4 Feb 04:27 | 6 Feb |
| 1990 | Yang Metal Horse | 庚午 | 4 Feb 10:14 | 27 Jan |
| 1991 | Yin Metal Goat | 辛未 | 4 Feb 16:08 | 15 Feb |
| 1992 | Yang Water Monkey | 壬申 | 4 Feb 21:48 | 4 Feb |
| 1993 | Yin Water Rooster | 癸酉 | 4 Feb 03:37 | 23 Jan |
| 1994 | Yang Wood Dog | 甲戌 | 4 Feb 09:31 | 10 Feb |
| 1995 | Yin Wood Pig | 乙亥 | 4 Feb 15:13 | 31 Jan |
| 1996 | Yang Fire Rat | 丙子 | 4 Feb 21:08 | 19 Feb |
| 1997 | Yin Fire Ox | 丁丑 | 4 Feb 03:02 | 7 Feb |
| 1998 | Yang Earth Tiger | 戊寅 | 4 Feb 08:57 | 28 Jan |
| 1999 | Yin Earth Rabbit | 己卯 | 4 Feb 14:57 | 16 Feb |
| 2000 | Yang Metal Dragon | 庚辰 | 4 Feb 20:40 | 5 Feb |
| 2001 | Yin Metal Snake | 辛巳 | 4 Feb 02:29 | 24 Jan |
| 2002 | Yang Water Horse | 壬午 | 4 Feb 08:24 | 12 Feb |
| 2003 | Yin Water Goat | 癸未 | 4 Feb 14:05 | 1 Feb |
| 2004 | Yang Wood Monkey | 甲申 | 4 Feb 19:56 | 22 Jan |
| 2005 | Yin Wood Rooster | 乙酉 | 4 Feb 01:43 | 9 Feb |
| 2006 | Yang Fire Dog | 丙戌 | 4 Feb 07:27 | 29 Jan |
| 2007 | Yin Fire Pig | 丁亥 | 4 Feb 13:18 | 18 Feb |
| 2008 | Yang Earth Rat | 戊子 | 4 Feb 19:00 | 7 Feb |
| 2009 | Yin Earth Ox | 己丑 | 4 Feb 00:50 | 26 Jan |
| 2010 | Yang Metal Tiger | 庚寅 | 4 Feb 06:48 | 14 Feb |
| 2011 | Yin Metal Rabbit | 辛卯 | 4 Feb 12:33 | 3 Feb |
| 2012 | Yang Water Dragon | 壬辰 | 4 Feb 18:22 | 23 Jan |
| 2013 | Yin Water Snake | 癸巳 | 4 Feb 00:13 | 10 Feb |
| 2014 | Yang Wood Horse | 甲午 | 4 Feb 06:03 | 31 Jan |
| 2015 | Yin Wood Goat | 乙未 | 4 Feb 11:58 | 19 Feb |
| 2016 | Yang Fire Monkey | 丙申 | 4 Feb 17:46 | 8 Feb |
| 2017 | Yin Fire Rooster | 丁酉 | 3 Feb 23:34 | 28 Jan |
| 2018 | Yang Earth Dog | 戊戌 | 4 Feb 05:28 | 16 Feb |
| 2019 | Yin Earth Pig | 己亥 | 4 Feb 11:14 | 5 Feb |
| 2020 | Yang Metal Rat | 庚子 | 4 Feb 17:03 | 25 Jan |
| 2021 | Yin Metal Ox | 辛丑 | 3 Feb 22:59 | 12 Feb |
| 2022 | Yang Water Tiger | 壬寅 | 4 Feb 04:51 | 1 Feb |
| 2023 | Yin Water Rabbit | 癸卯 | 4 Feb 10:42 | 22 Jan |
| 2024 | Yang Wood Dragon | 甲辰 | 4 Feb 16:27 | 10 Feb |
| 2025 | Yin Wood Snake | 乙巳 | 3 Feb 22:10 | 29 Jan |
| 2026 | Yang Fire Horse | 丙午 | 4 Feb 04:02 | 17 Feb |
| 2027 | Yin Fire Goat | 丁未 | 4 Feb 09:46 | 6 Feb |
| 2028 | Yang Earth Monkey | 戊申 | 4 Feb 15:31 | 26 Jan |
| 2029 | Yin Earth Rooster | 己酉 | 3 Feb 21:20 | 13 Feb |
| 2030 | Yang Metal Dog | 庚戌 | 4 Feb 03:08 | 3 Feb |
| 2031 | Yin Metal Pig | 辛亥 | 4 Feb 08:58 | 23 Jan |
| 2032 | Yang Water Rat | 壬子 | 4 Feb 14:49 | 11 Feb |
| 2033 | Yin Water Ox | 癸丑 | 3 Feb 20:41 | 31 Jan |
| 2034 | Yang Wood Tiger | 甲寅 | 4 Feb 02:41 | 19 Feb |
| 2035 | Yin Wood Rabbit | 乙卯 | 4 Feb 08:31 | 8 Feb |
| 2036 | Yang Fire Dragon | 丙辰 | 4 Feb 14:19 | 28 Jan |
| 2037 | Yin Fire Snake | 丁巳 | 3 Feb 20:11 | 15 Feb |
| 2038 | Yang Earth Horse | 戊午 | 4 Feb 02:03 | 4 Feb |
| 2039 | Yin Earth Goat | 己未 | 4 Feb 07:52 | 24 Jan |
| 2040 | Yang Metal Monkey | 庚申 | 4 Feb 13:39 | 12 Feb |
| 2041 | Yin Metal Rooster | 辛酉 | 3 Feb 19:25 | 1 Feb |
| 2042 | Yang Water Dog | 壬戌 | 4 Feb 01:12 | 22 Jan |
| 2043 | Yin Water Pig | 癸亥 | 4 Feb 06:58 | 10 Feb |
Born in January or early February? Check this first
The Chinese year does not start on 1 January, and it does not start on the same day every year either. Two start dates are in play. Chinese New Year follows the moon and moves between about 21 January and 20 February. A Bazi chart follows the sun instead and starts the year at the solar term 立春, which lands on 3, 4 or 5 February.
So someone born on 1 February 1990 is a metal horse by the lunar calendar, because Chinese New Year fell on 27 January. In a Bazi chart they are still an earth snake, because the solar year did not turn until 4 February. Most zodiac sites use the first date. A chart uses the second.
The times in the table are China time. If your birthday falls within a day of the change, the exact time and place of birth decide it, and a calculator that asks for both will sort it out.
The element that is actually you
In Bazi your birth becomes four pairs of characters: one each for the year, month, day and hour. The year pair is the one zodiac sites talk about. The pair for the day matters more, and its top character, called the day master, is the one read as you. Every other character in the chart is read in relation to it.
Your day master is one of the same ten stems: yang or yin wood, fire, earth, metal or water. It changes every day rather than every year, so it says far more about one person than a year shared with everyone else your age. Someone born in a metal horse year can easily be a water day master, and a reading built on metal would describe the wrong person.
Even the day master is not the whole story. The eight characters carry the elements in different amounts, and a reading looks at which ones are plentiful, which are thin, and which the day master needs more of.
What each element is like
These are tendencies, not verdicts, and they describe an element wherever it shows up in a chart.
Wood grows. It is linked with planning, learning and pushing towards something, and it can turn stubborn when it is blocked.
Fire spreads warmth and attention. It is expressive and quick, and it can burn through energy faster than it replaces it.
Earth holds things together. It is steady, practical and supportive, and too much of it can feel stuck.
Metal cuts and decides. It values standards, clarity and follow-through, and it can turn rigid or harsh.
Water adapts. It is curious, perceptive and resourceful, and it can drift without something to give it shape.
Common questions
What element am I if I was born in 1990?
Metal, as a yang metal horse, if you were born after the solar new year on 4 February 1990. Born before that, your year in a Bazi chart is still 1989's earth snake, even if you were born after Chinese New Year on 27 January. That is your year element. The element that represents you is your day master, which comes from your birth date.
Why do different websites give me different elements?
Usually for one of two reasons. Some give the element of your birth year and others the element of your birth day, which are different things. And for births in January or early February, sites disagree about when the year starts: Chinese New Year for zodiac sites, the solar new year around 4 February for Bazi.
Is my element the same as my Chinese zodiac sign?
No. The sign is the animal, which repeats every twelve years. The element changes every two years, so the same animal comes round with each of the five elements in turn: a 1966 horse is fire, a 1978 horse earth and a 1990 horse metal.
Which element is the best one to have?
None of them. A chart is read for balance, and an element that helps one chart weighs another down. What matters is what your day master has too much of and what it is short of.
See all five elements in your chart
Enter your birthday and see how the five elements balance in your own chart. It's free, and nothing you enter is saved.
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