Everyone has their own Chinese zodiac sign, and it is determined by the time and year they were born.
For example, someone born during the first month of 2025 would be considered born in the Year of the Snake.
The Chinese zodiac has 12 animal signs:
🐭 Rat
🐮 Ox
🐯 Tiger
🐰 Rabbit
🐲 Dragon
🐍 Snake
🐴 Horse
🐐 Goat
🐵 Monkey
🐓 Rooster
🐶 Dog
🐷 Pig
Is the Chinese Zodiac Based on the Lunar Calendar?
Traditionally, Chinese zodiac signs are calculated using the Chinese lunar calendar.
Chinese New Year usually falls between late January and mid-February, so people born around this period may need to check the exact date carefully because the zodiac year does not always begin on January 1st like the Western calendar.
In traditional Chinese timekeeping, a new day begins at 11:00 PM, known as the Zi Hour.
For example:
10:59 PM on New Year's Eve still belongs to the previous day.
11:00 PM marks the beginning of the next day.
The 12 Chinese Zodiac Hours
Ancient Chinese culture divided a day into 12 time periods, each connected with one zodiac animal:
Zi Hour (11 PM - 1 AM) - Rat
Chou Hour (1 AM - 3 AM) - Ox
Yin Hour (3 AM - 5 AM) - Tiger
Mao Hour (5 AM - 7 AM) - Rabbit
Chen Hour (7 AM - 9 AM) - Dragon
Si Hour (9 AM - 11 AM) - Snake
Wu Hour (11 AM - 1 PM) - Horse
Wei Hour (1 PM - 3 PM) - Goat
Shen Hour (3 PM - 5 PM) - Monkey
You Hour (5 PM - 7 PM) - Rooster
Xu Hour (7 PM - 9 PM) - Dog
Hai Hour (9 PM - 11 PM) - Pig
A traditional Chinese phrase summarizes the order:
“Zi Rat, Chou Ox, Yin Tiger, Mao Rabbit, Chen Dragon, Si Snake, Wu Horse, Wei Goat, Shen Monkey, You Rooster, Xu Dog, Hai Pig.”
What About Birth Months?
In traditional Chinese astrology, months also have their own system.
The lunar months are:
1st month, 2nd month, 3rd month, and so on.
However, when used in astrology calculations, the months are traditionally counted starting from the Tiger Month (Yin Month):
Tiger → Rabbit → Dragon → Snake → Horse → Goat → Monkey → Rooster → Dog → Pig → Rat → Ox
For example, the sixth lunar month corresponds to the Goat Month (Wei Month).
Have You Found Your Chinese Zodiac Sign?
Your Chinese zodiac sign is more than just an animal. It is a cultural tradition that connects people with Chinese history, festivals, and traditional beliefs.
Find your zodiac sign and discover the story behind your birth year!
Related Guides
For more context, you can also read What Is My Chinese Zodiac Sign?, Chinese zodiac years chart, Chinese zodiac personality guide, and Chinese Zodiac Calculator.
