Chinese zodiac · 丑 · chǒu
Year of the Ox
Quick answer
Recent Ox years: 1997, 2009, and 2021; the next begins in 2033. Each one starts at Lunar New Year, between January 21 and February 20, so a birthday early in the year may belong to the year before. In the classical tables the best matches for the Ox are Rat (six harmony) and Snake and Rooster (three harmony), and its clash is Goat.
Earthly branch
丑 · chǒu
Fixed element
Earth
Yin or yang
Yin
Double hour (時辰)
01:00–03:00
Personality
The Ox is the cycle’s steady worker. In the Great Race it set out early and carried the Rat across the river without complaint. Ox people are traditionally seen as patient, dependable and quietly strong: they finish what they start.
丑 is the double hour from 1 to 3 a.m. and the cold earth of late winter, still and full of stored energy. Oxen often value honesty over flattery and routine over rush, and keep a loyalty that is slow to form and slow to fade.
Strengths
- Patient and persistent
- Dependable under pressure
- Honest and direct
- Builds things that last
Growing edges
Steadiness can tip into stubbornness. Oxen grow by letting a new idea in before deciding it is wrong.
Love and friendship
Oxen court slowly and commit deeply. Grand gestures matter less to them than showing up, day after day, and they tend to appreciate people who are just as reliable.
Compatibility
Chinese astrology pairs the twelve branches in a few classical ways. They describe tendencies between birth years, never a verdict on two real people: a full chart, and the people themselves, say much more.
Six harmony (六合)
Branches that combine as a pair. Traditionally the easiest, most complementary bond.
Animals four years apart that together form a frame of metal. Traditionally read as kindred spirits and natural allies.
Clash (六沖)
The animal six years away, opposite on the circle. Traditionally read as different rhythms: friction for some pairs, a useful balance for others.
Harm (六害)
A subtler mismatch in the classical tables, often read as small misunderstandings that ask for patience.
Ox years, 1900–2099
Each year runs from Lunar New Year to the eve of the next. Its element comes from the year’s heavenly stem, so the same element and animal return every sixty years.
| Year | Dates | Stem and branch |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | Feb 19, 1901 – Feb 7, 1902Metal · Yin | 辛丑xīn chǒu |
| 1913 | Feb 6, 1913 – Jan 25, 1914Water · Yin | 癸丑guǐ chǒu |
| 1925 | Jan 24, 1925 – Feb 12, 1926Wood · Yin | 乙丑yǐ chǒu |
| 1937 | Feb 11, 1937 – Jan 30, 1938Fire · Yin | 丁丑dīng chǒu |
| 1949 | Jan 29, 1949 – Feb 16, 1950Earth · Yin | 己丑jǐ chǒu |
| 1961 | Feb 15, 1961 – Feb 4, 1962Metal · Yin | 辛丑xīn chǒu |
| 1973 | Feb 3, 1973 – Jan 22, 1974Water · Yin | 癸丑guǐ chǒu |
| 1985 | Feb 20, 1985 – Feb 8, 1986Wood · Yin | 乙丑yǐ chǒu |
| 1997 | Feb 7, 1997 – Jan 27, 1998Fire · Yin | 丁丑dīng chǒu |
| 2009 | Jan 26, 2009 – Feb 13, 2010Earth · Yin | 己丑jǐ chǒu |
| 2021 | Feb 12, 2021 – Jan 31, 2022Metal · Yin | 辛丑xīn chǒu |
| 2033 | Jan 31, 2033 – Feb 18, 2034Water · Yin | 癸丑guǐ chǒu |
| 2045 | Feb 17, 2045 – Feb 5, 2046Wood · Yin | 乙丑yǐ chǒu |
| 2057 | Feb 4, 2057 – Jan 23, 2058Fire · Yin | 丁丑dīng chǒu |
| 2069 | Jan 23, 2069 – Feb 10, 2070Earth · Yin | 己丑jǐ chǒu |
| 2081 | Feb 9, 2081 – Jan 28, 2082Metal · Yin | 辛丑xīn chǒu |
| 2093 | Jan 27, 2093 – Feb 14, 2094Water · Yin | 癸丑guǐ chǒu |
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