Which animal are you? The Chinese zodiac, 生肖 (shēng xiào), gives each year one of twelve animals, always in the same order: 鼠 (shǔ, rat), 牛 (niú, ox), 虎 (hǔ, tiger), 兔 (tù, rabbit), 龙 (lóng, dragon), 蛇 (shé, snake), 马 (mǎ, horse), 羊 (yáng, goat), 猴 (hóu, monkey), 鸡 (jī, rooster), 狗 (gǒu, dog) and 猪 (zhū, pig). This worksheet practices 生肖 plus all twelve characters in that order, with pinyin above 田字格 (tián zì gé) tracing grids. 2027 is the Year of the Goat, 羊, which begins on February 6; 2028 belongs to the Monkey. A tip for January and February birthdays: the animal changes at Lunar New Year, not on January 1, so check the date before you decide. Children can trace their own animal first and then the whole cycle. Print it free or save the PDF, and finish by saying 我属 (wǒ shǔ), 'I was born in the year of', with your animal.
The 12 zodiac animals in order
The 12 Chinese zodiac animals| # | Animal | Traditional | Pinyin | English | Earthly branch | Everyday word |
|---|
| 1 | 鼠 | 鼠 | shǔ | Rat
Also mouse | 子 zǐ | 老鼠 lǎo shǔ |
| 2 | 牛 | 牛 | niú | Ox
Also cow, buffalo | 丑 chǒu | |
| 3 | 虎 | 虎 | hǔ | Tiger | 寅 yín | 老虎 lǎo hǔ |
| 4 | 兔 | 兔 | tù | Rabbit
Also hare | 卯 mǎo | 兔子 tù zi |
| 5 | 龙 | 龍 | lóng | Dragon | 辰 chén | |
| 6 | 蛇 | 蛇 | shé | Snake | 巳 sì | |
| 7 | 马 | 馬 | mǎ | Horse | 午 wǔ | |
| 8 | 羊 | 羊 | yáng | Goat; sheep
Also sheep, ram | 未 wèi | |
| 9 | 猴 | 猴 | hóu | Monkey | 申 shēn | 猴子 hóu zi |
| 10 | 鸡 | 雞 | jī | Rooster; chicken
Also chicken, cock | 酉 yǒu | 公鸡 gōng jī |
| 11 | 狗 | 狗 | gǒu | Dog | 戌 xū | |
| 12 | 猪 | 豬 | zhū | Pig
Also boar | 亥 hài | |
Talking about your animal
Words for the Chinese zodiac| Chinese | Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|
| 生肖 | 生肖 | shēng xiào | Chinese zodiac animal (one's birth sign) |
| 属 | 屬 | shǔ | to be born in the year of (我属羊 = I'm a Goat) |
| 本命年 | 本命年 | běn mìng nián | the year of your own zodiac animal, every 12 years |
Find your animal: zodiac years 1930–2041
Each animal's year starts at Lunar New Year. Born in January or early February? Compare your birthday with the start date.
Chinese zodiac years from 1930 to 2041 with start dates| Year | Starts on | Animal | Element | Stem-branch |
|---|
| 1930 | January 30, 1930 | 马
Horse | Metal | 庚午 |
| 1931 | February 17, 1931 | 羊
Goat | Metal | 辛未 |
| 1932 | February 6, 1932 | 猴
Monkey | Water | 壬申 |
| 1933 | January 26, 1933 | 鸡
Rooster | Water | 癸酉 |
| 1934 | February 14, 1934 | 狗
Dog | Wood | 甲戌 |
| 1935 | February 4, 1935 | 猪
Pig | Wood | 乙亥 |
| 1936 | January 24, 1936 | 鼠
Rat | Fire | 丙子 |
| 1937 | February 11, 1937 | 牛
Ox | Fire | 丁丑 |
| 1938 | January 31, 1938 | 虎
Tiger | Earth | 戊寅 |
| 1939 | February 19, 1939 | 兔
Rabbit | Earth | 己卯 |
| 1940 | February 8, 1940 | 龙
Dragon | Metal | 庚辰 |
| 1941 | January 27, 1941 | 蛇
Snake | Metal | 辛巳 |
| 1942 | February 15, 1942 | 马
Horse | Water | 壬午 |
| 1943 | February 5, 1943 | 羊
Goat | Water | 癸未 |
| 1944 | January 25, 1944 | 猴
Monkey | Wood | 甲申 |
| 1945 | February 13, 1945 | 鸡
Rooster | Wood | 乙酉 |
| 1946 | February 2, 1946 | 狗
Dog | Fire | 丙戌 |
| 1947 | January 22, 1947 | 猪
Pig | Fire | 丁亥 |
| 1948 | February 10, 1948 | 鼠
Rat | Earth | 戊子 |
| 1949 | January 29, 1949 | 牛
Ox | Earth | 己丑 |
| 1950 | February 17, 1950 | 虎
Tiger | Metal | 庚寅 |
| 1951 | February 6, 1951 | 兔
Rabbit | Metal | 辛卯 |
| 1952 | January 27, 1952 | 龙
Dragon | Water | 壬辰 |
| 1953 | February 14, 1953 | 蛇
Snake | Water | 癸巳 |
| 1954 | February 3, 1954 | 马
Horse | Wood | 甲午 |
| 1955 | January 24, 1955 | 羊
Goat | Wood | 乙未 |
| 1956 | February 12, 1956 | 猴
Monkey | Fire | 丙申 |
| 1957 | January 31, 1957 | 鸡
Rooster | Fire | 丁酉 |
| 1958 | February 18, 1958 | 狗
Dog | Earth | 戊戌 |
| 1959 | February 8, 1959 | 猪
Pig | Earth | 己亥 |
| 1960 | January 28, 1960 | 鼠
Rat | Metal | 庚子 |
| 1961 | February 15, 1961 | 牛
Ox | Metal | 辛丑 |
| 1962 | February 5, 1962 | 虎
Tiger | Water | 壬寅 |
| 1963 | January 25, 1963 | 兔
Rabbit | Water | 癸卯 |
| 1964 | February 13, 1964 | 龙
Dragon | Wood | 甲辰 |
| 1965 | February 2, 1965 | 蛇
Snake | Wood | 乙巳 |
| 1966 | January 21, 1966 | 马
Horse | Fire | 丙午 |
| 1967 | February 9, 1967 | 羊
Goat | Fire | 丁未 |
| 1968 | January 30, 1968 | 猴
Monkey | Earth | 戊申 |
| 1969 | February 17, 1969 | 鸡
Rooster | Earth | 己酉 |
| 1970 | February 6, 1970 | 狗
Dog | Metal | 庚戌 |
| 1971 | January 27, 1971 | 猪
Pig | Metal | 辛亥 |
| 1972 | February 15, 1972 | 鼠
Rat | Water | 壬子 |
| 1973 | February 3, 1973 | 牛
Ox | Water | 癸丑 |
| 1974 | January 23, 1974 | 虎
Tiger | Wood | 甲寅 |
| 1975 | February 11, 1975 | 兔
Rabbit | Wood | 乙卯 |
| 1976 | January 31, 1976 | 龙
Dragon | Fire | 丙辰 |
| 1977 | February 18, 1977 | 蛇
Snake | Fire | 丁巳 |
| 1978 | February 7, 1978 | 马
Horse | Earth | 戊午 |
| 1979 | January 28, 1979 | 羊
Goat | Earth | 己未 |
| 1980 | February 16, 1980 | 猴
Monkey | Metal | 庚申 |
| 1981 | February 5, 1981 | 鸡
Rooster | Metal | 辛酉 |
| 1982 | January 25, 1982 | 狗
Dog | Water | 壬戌 |
| 1983 | February 13, 1983 | 猪
Pig | Water | 癸亥 |
| 1984 | February 2, 1984 | 鼠
Rat | Wood | 甲子 |
| 1985 | February 20, 1985 | 牛
Ox | Wood | 乙丑 |
| 1986 | February 9, 1986 | 虎
Tiger | Fire | 丙寅 |
| 1987 | January 29, 1987 | 兔
Rabbit | Fire | 丁卯 |
| 1988 | February 17, 1988 | 龙
Dragon | Earth | 戊辰 |
| 1989 | February 6, 1989 | 蛇
Snake | Earth | 己巳 |
| 1990 | January 27, 1990 | 马
Horse | Metal | 庚午 |
| 1991 | February 15, 1991 | 羊
Goat | Metal | 辛未 |
| 1992 | February 4, 1992 | 猴
Monkey | Water | 壬申 |
| 1993 | January 23, 1993 | 鸡
Rooster | Water | 癸酉 |
| 1994 | February 10, 1994 | 狗
Dog | Wood | 甲戌 |
| 1995 | January 31, 1995 | 猪
Pig | Wood | 乙亥 |
| 1996 | February 19, 1996 | 鼠
Rat | Fire | 丙子 |
| 1997 | February 7, 1997 | 牛
Ox | Fire | 丁丑 |
| 1998 | January 28, 1998 | 虎
Tiger | Earth | 戊寅 |
| 1999 | February 16, 1999 | 兔
Rabbit | Earth | 己卯 |
| 2000 | February 5, 2000 | 龙
Dragon | Metal | 庚辰 |
| 2001 | January 24, 2001 | 蛇
Snake | Metal | 辛巳 |
| 2002 | February 12, 2002 | 马
Horse | Water | 壬午 |
| 2003 | February 1, 2003 | 羊
Goat | Water | 癸未 |
| 2004 | January 22, 2004 | 猴
Monkey | Wood | 甲申 |
| 2005 | February 9, 2005 | 鸡
Rooster | Wood | 乙酉 |
| 2006 | January 29, 2006 | 狗
Dog | Fire | 丙戌 |
| 2007 | February 18, 2007 | 猪
Pig | Fire | 丁亥 |
| 2008 | February 7, 2008 | 鼠
Rat | Earth | 戊子 |
| 2009 | January 26, 2009 | 牛
Ox | Earth | 己丑 |
| 2010 | February 14, 2010 | 虎
Tiger | Metal | 庚寅 |
| 2011 | February 3, 2011 | 兔
Rabbit | Metal | 辛卯 |
| 2012 | January 23, 2012 | 龙
Dragon | Water | 壬辰 |
| 2013 | February 10, 2013 | 蛇
Snake | Water | 癸巳 |
| 2014 | January 31, 2014 | 马
Horse | Wood | 甲午 |
| 2015 | February 19, 2015 | 羊
Goat | Wood | 乙未 |
| 2016 | February 8, 2016 | 猴
Monkey | Fire | 丙申 |
| 2017 | January 28, 2017 | 鸡
Rooster | Fire | 丁酉 |
| 2018 | February 16, 2018 | 狗
Dog | Earth | 戊戌 |
| 2019 | February 5, 2019 | 猪
Pig | Earth | 己亥 |
| 2020 | January 25, 2020 | 鼠
Rat | Metal | 庚子 |
| 2021 | February 12, 2021 | 牛
Ox | Metal | 辛丑 |
| 2022 | February 1, 2022 | 虎
Tiger | Water | 壬寅 |
| 2023 | January 22, 2023 | 兔
Rabbit | Water | 癸卯 |
| 2024 | February 10, 2024 | 龙
Dragon | Wood | 甲辰 |
| 2025 | January 29, 2025 | 蛇
Snake | Wood | 乙巳 |
| 2026 | February 17, 2026 | 马
Horse | Fire | 丙午 |
| 2027 | February 6, 2027 | 羊
Goat | Fire | 丁未 |
| 2028 | January 26, 2028 | 猴
Monkey | Earth | 戊申 |
| 2029 | February 13, 2029 | 鸡
Rooster | Earth | 己酉 |
| 2030 | February 3, 2030 | 狗
Dog | Metal | 庚戌 |
| 2031 | January 23, 2031 | 猪
Pig | Metal | 辛亥 |
| 2032 | February 11, 2032 | 鼠
Rat | Water | 壬子 |
| 2033 | January 31, 2033 | 牛
Ox | Water | 癸丑 |
| 2034 | February 19, 2034 | 虎
Tiger | Wood | 甲寅 |
| 2035 | February 8, 2035 | 兔
Rabbit | Wood | 乙卯 |
| 2036 | January 28, 2036 | 龙
Dragon | Fire | 丙辰 |
| 2037 | February 15, 2037 | 蛇
Snake | Fire | 丁巳 |
| 2038 | February 4, 2038 | 马
Horse | Earth | 戊午 |
| 2039 | January 24, 2039 | 羊
Goat | Earth | 己未 |
| 2040 | February 12, 2040 | 猴
Monkey | Metal | 庚申 |
| 2041 | February 1, 2041 | 鸡
Rooster | Metal | 辛酉 |
More Chinese New Year worksheets
- Chinese New Year worksheets: Lunar New Year 2027 is on Saturday, February 6, and opens the Year of the Goat, 羊年 (yáng nián), also called the Year of the Sheep or Ram. Free printable sheets for every age, with pinyin and English.
- New Year for Kindergarten: Eighteen big, simple characters for preschool and kindergarten, from 年 (nián), 春 (chūn) and 福 (fú) to 人 (rén), 山 (shān) and 水 (shuǐ). 年 春 福 红
- New Year Greetings: The spoken New Year wishes, from 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) and 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) to 身体健康 (shēn tǐ jiàn kāng) for grandparents. 新年快乐 春节快乐 过年好 恭喜发财
- Year of the Goat: 2027 is the Year of the Goat, 羊年 (yáng nián), starting on Saturday, February 6; 羊 (yáng) also covers sheep and rams. 羊 羊年 山羊 绵羊
- Fu Character & Spring Couplets: Write 福 (fú) and the parts of a spring couplet, then copy a traditional door couplet line by line. 福 春联 对联 上联
- Chinese New Year Words: Twenty Spring Festival words: the reunion dinner, red envelopes, lanterns, firecrackers and New Year food. 春节 新年 除夕 年夜饭
- Lantern Festival: Words for 元宵节 (yuán xiāo jié), the night of lanterns: 汤圆 (tāng yuán), 花灯 (huā dēng), 灯谜 (dēng mí) riddles and the first full moon of the year. 元宵节 元宵 汤圆 正月十五
- Yuan Ri (元日): Copy Wang Anshi's 元日 (yuán rì), the classic Chinese New Year poem, line by line with pinyin. 爆竹声中一岁除 春风送暖入屠苏 千门万户曈曈日 总把新桃换旧符
Frequently asked questions
What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in order?
Rat 鼠 (shǔ), ox 牛 (niú), tiger 虎 (hǔ), rabbit 兔 (tù), dragon 龙 (lóng), snake 蛇 (shé), horse 马 (mǎ), goat 羊 (yáng), monkey 猴 (hóu), rooster 鸡 (jī), dog 狗 (gǒu) and pig 猪 (zhū). The cycle repeats every 12 years: 2027 is the Goat and 2028 the Monkey.
What zodiac animal am I if I was born in January or February?
Check the Lunar New Year date for your birth year: if you were born before it, your animal is the previous year's. Someone born on January 20, 2027 is still a Horse, because the Goat year begins on February 6. The table on this page lists every start date from 1930 to 2041.
How do you say "I was born in the Year of the…" in Chinese?
Use 属 (shǔ, to belong to) plus your animal: 我属羊 (wǒ shǔ yáng) means 'I was born in the Year of the Goat'. To ask someone, say 你属什么？ (nǐ shǔ shén me?), 'What is your zodiac animal?'
Why is the Rat first in the Chinese zodiac?
A folk story says the animals raced across a river for the Jade Emperor, and the clever rat rode on the ox's back and jumped ahead at the finish. In the calendar, the rat simply pairs with 子 (zǐ), the first of the twelve earthly branches.
Is this worksheet free to print?
Yes. The Chinese zodiac worksheet is free to print or save as a PDF, with no account or email needed, and you can print as many copies as you like for a class. Choose A4 or US Letter before you press Print or Save PDF.