Chinese Zodiac – Characteristics of the 12 Animal Signs
Millions of people across the planet subscribe to the Chinese zodiac belief system. The Chinese zodiac uses 12 animals, each of which represents a year in the 12-year cycle. They are the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Sheep, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog and the Pig. These Chinese animal signs also represent twelve types of personalities and are believed to reveal the path to love, prosperity, and happiness.
Are you curious to know more? Use the information below to learn more about the 12 signs.
Rat people are loyal, honest, and talented. They are also very charming, thrifty, and diligent. In China it is considered an honor to be born under this sign. Add to your frugality an enterprising character. They are born to lead; thus making them good employers. They thrive in almost every business. Very rarely will you find Rat people who are not prosperous. They are easy to get along with and have fantastic appeal. They appreciate friendships and family relationships, which is why they hate betrayal. They love to talk, travel and be around people. Most of them are motivated by money and fame. They can be ambitious, selfish, opportunistic and perfectionistic. They can be good designers, lawyers, television personalities, consultants, writers, accountants, businessmen or politicians.
Years: 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
Compatible with: ox, dragon and monkey
Some famous rats: William Shakespeare, Prince Charles, George Washington, Plato, Mozart, and George Bush.
The ox is the second sign of the Chinese zodiac. People signed under the Ox are naturally patient, calm, hard-working, sophisticated, conventional and honest. They believe in the value of persevering to achieve their goals. They are also meticulous when it comes to their work. They take relationships seriously. Without a doubt, they are reliable partners for life. Once they make a decision, they stick with it. Oxen can also be stubborn, demanding, dogmatic and narrow-minded. Oxen are born leaders. They are good politicians, bankers, army generals, investment brokers, managers, carpenters or doctors.
Years: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Compatible with: Rooster, Snake and Rat
Some famous oxen: Vincent Van Gogh, Jon Bon Jovi, Charlie Chaplin, Adolf Hitler, Aristotle, Walt Disney, Saddam Hussein, Eddie Murphy, Princess Diana, Gerard Ford, and Pres. Barak Obama.
Tigers are much loved because they possess attractive qualities. Tigers are powerful, brave, bold, impulsive, passionate, vibrant, and generous. Add to your generosity a sincere heart. The approval of others, and not money, is the object of his desire. They want to establish themselves as the leader of the pack. This explains their competitiveness. They are also very optimistic and adventurous. They can be impatient, selfish, short-tempered, stubborn, and unpredictable. Tigers can be very successful as activists, comedians, explorers, pilots, entertainers, or business managers.
Years: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
Compatible with: Horse, Dog and Dragon
Some famous tigers: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Marilyn Monroe, Demi Moore, Tom Cruise, Karl Marx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Marco Polo, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Rabbits are said to be wise, kind, loving, sensitive, creative, diplomatic, cautious, understanding and discreet. It is easy for them to talk their way out of sticky situations smoothly. They are good listeners, which makes them best friends. They know art when they see it. Rabbits are very elegant. Green is your lucky color. They can be ambitious, moody, opportunistic and stubborn. They can be successful as fashion designers, teachers, therapists, actors, peace negotiators, ambassadors, writers, and poets.
Years: 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
Compatible with: Sheep, Dog and Pig
Some famous rabbits: Michael Jordan, Confucius, Fidel Castro, Tiger Woods, Pope Benedict XVI, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, David Beckham, Marie Curie, Josef Stalin, and Albert Einstein.
Dragons are confident, jealous, intelligent, strong, loving, protective, ambitious, kind, enthusiastic, and powerful, which makes them popular. Dragons are free spirits. They are nonconformists. They hate anything that restricts their creativity and control. They do what they want. Aware of their strengths, dragons love to be the center of attention. This can make them cocky, demanding, intolerant, and insensitive. They are their own worst enemies. They can easily find success as politicians, inventors, advertising agents, and activists.
Years: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Compatible with: Monkey, Rat, Rooster and Snake
Some famous dragons: Joan of Arc, Sigmund Freud, Bruce Lee, John Lennon, Florence Nightingale. Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King.
Snake people are deep thinkers. Add to your wisdom, a creative mind. People signed under the Snake are introspective, mysterious, soft-spoken, passionate, creative, careful, strong, and very persuasive. The last attribute reveals his dark, self-centered and ambitious side. They tend to be poor communicators. They like to work alone and are self-sufficient. Rarely seeking advice from others, the Snake likes to contemplate life’s problems. When they are negative, they do not handle rejection well. They can be jealous, possessive, cold and stubborn. They may be successful writers, counselors, teachers, or philosophers.
Years: 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Compatible with: Ox, Rooster and Dragon
Some famous snakes: Bob Dylan, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Charles Darwin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mao Tse Dong, Indira Gandhi, Brooke Shields, John F. Kennedy, Pablo Picasso, Martha Stewart, and Oprah Winfrey.
Horses are popular, open-minded, witty, cool, communicative, intelligent, strong, and charismatic. They work well in a group. They are resilient by nature, but can be arrogant, fickle, childish, rebellious, gullible, and rude. They love to travel and be in open spaces, and have an intimate relationship with their partners. Fun and attractive, they can be the life of the party. They like to hang out. They are good with their hands and make excellent entertainers, hosts, tour operators, advertisers, adventurers, politicians, or bartenders.
Years: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Compatible with: Tiger, Sheep and Dog
Some famous horses: Neil Armstrong, Mike Tyson, Jimmy Hendrix, Louis Pasteur, Theodore Roosevelt, Isaac Newton and James Dean.
Sheep are artistic, docile, sincere, understanding, generous, shy, creative, kind, compassionate and tender. They love beauty, comfort, peace and harmony. Born survivors, they can withstand difficulties. People love them because they are kind. It is said that they are good Samaritans and that luck favors them. Sheep can be moody, negative, and overly sensitive. They can be successful artists, animators, actors and designers.
Years: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Compatible with: rabbit, pig and horse
Some famous sheep: Jamie Foxx, King George VI, Mark Twain, Rudolph Valentino, Bruce Willis, Michelangelo, and Jane Austen.
Monkeys are intelligent and spontaneous people loved by everyone. They are good at inventing things as they are very creative and talented. They can devise strategies and solve problems easily. They are energetic, flexible, sociable, fun-loving and practical. Monkeys are due to their exceptional intelligence, they can be snobs, manipulators, opportunists, vain and selfish. They can be successful in any field they choose. They may be business managers, scientists, inventors, problem solvers, or diplomats.
Years: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Compatible with: Dragon and Rat
Some famous monkeys: Will Smith, Jennifer Anniston, Julius Caesar, and Leonardo da Vinci.
Roosters always have their hands full. They are excited about the job. They are engaging, astute, meticulous, and deep thinkers. People born in the Year of the Rooster are aggressive, self-confident, decisive, analytical, hard-working and responsible. They love fancy clothes because they always think about their appearance. They would do anything for their loved ones. They are born perfectionists and are critical, outspoken and opinionated. They may excel as event planners, publicists, entertainers, hosts, or managers.
Years: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Compatible with: Ox, Snake and Dragon
Some famous roosters: Jessica Alba, Catherine the Great, Amelia Earhart, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears
Dogs possess wonderful traits. They are good listeners. They are intelligent, sociable, honest, loyal, true, attractive and calm. They value relationships and are very realistic. Your sense of duty and honor inspires others. Dog lovers can be lazy, super stubborn and rowdy. They almost never back down from fights. They are frank and never afraid to give you their opinion. They stand firm on the principle. For them, everything is black and white. You are an enemy or a friend. People born under this sign are good leaders, teachers, health workers, detectives, social activists or soldiers.
Years: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Compatible with: Horse, Tiger and Rabbit
Some famous dog people: Winston Churchill, Bill Clinton, Benjamin Franklin, Madonna and Cher
The pig is the last sign of the Chinese zodiac. People born in the year of the pig are intelligent, simple, peace-loving and loyal people. They are optimistic and always see the good in people. They are also intelligent, loving and honest. They love nature, that’s why they like to take trips to the countryside. They work behind the scenes. They are modest and can appear aloof, but that is only on the surface. As you get to know them better, you will discover their bubbly side. When they are negative, they can be gullible and materialistic. They take seriously what people say about them, because they value their reputation.
Years: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Compatible with: Rabbit and Sheep
Some famous pigs: Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Thomas Jefferson, Alfred Hitchcock and David Letterman