Chinese zodiac · 巳 · sì
Year of the Snake
Quick answer
Recent Snake years: 2001, 2013, and 2025; the next begins in 2037. 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 Snake are Monkey (six harmony) and Rooster and Ox (three harmony), and its clash is Pig.
Earthly branch
巳 · sì
Fixed element
Fire
Yin or yang
Yin
Double hour (時辰)
09:00–11:00
Personality
The Snake is the cycle’s philosopher. Sometimes called the “little dragon” in Chinese, it stands for wisdom, intuition and quiet elegance. Snake people are traditionally seen as thoughtful, perceptive and self-possessed.
巳 is the late-morning sun at the start of summer, fire gathering strength. Snakes tend to take their time, read people well and act decisively once they have made up their minds.
Strengths
- Wise and perceptive
- Calm and composed
- Elegant taste
- A strategic thinker
Growing edges
A private nature can look like distance. Snakes grow by letting the people close to them see what they are thinking.
Love and friendship
Snakes love deeply and privately. They often value depth over display, and tend to be drawn to people with substance and a little mystery of their own.
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.
Snake 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1905 | Feb 4, 1905 – Jan 24, 1906Wood · Yin | 乙巳yǐ sì |
| 1917 | Jan 23, 1917 – Feb 10, 1918Fire · Yin | 丁巳dīng sì |
| 1929 | Feb 10, 1929 – Jan 29, 1930Earth · Yin | 己巳jǐ sì |
| 1941 | Jan 27, 1941 – Feb 14, 1942Metal · Yin | 辛巳xīn sì |
| 1953 | Feb 14, 1953 – Feb 2, 1954Water · Yin | 癸巳guǐ sì |
| 1965 | Feb 2, 1965 – Jan 20, 1966Wood · Yin | 乙巳yǐ sì |
| 1977 | Feb 18, 1977 – Feb 6, 1978Fire · Yin | 丁巳dīng sì |
| 1989 | Feb 6, 1989 – Jan 26, 1990Earth · Yin | 己巳jǐ sì |
| 2001 | Jan 24, 2001 – Feb 11, 2002Metal · Yin | 辛巳xīn sì |
| 2013 | Feb 10, 2013 – Jan 30, 2014Water · Yin | 癸巳guǐ sì |
| 2025 | Jan 29, 2025 – Feb 16, 2026Wood · Yin | 乙巳yǐ sì |
| 2037 | Feb 15, 2037 – Feb 3, 2038Fire · Yin | 丁巳dīng sì |
| 2049 | Feb 2, 2049 – Jan 22, 2050Earth · Yin | 己巳jǐ sì |
| 2061 | Jan 21, 2061 – Feb 8, 2062Metal · Yin | 辛巳xīn sì |
| 2073 | Feb 7, 2073 – Jan 26, 2074Water · Yin | 癸巳guǐ sì |
| 2085 | Jan 26, 2085 – Feb 13, 2086Wood · Yin | 乙巳yǐ sì |
| 2097 | Feb 12, 2097 – Jan 31, 2098Fire · Yin | 丁巳dīng sì |
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