The Chinese zodiac · the tenth of twelve

The Year of the Rooster

Sharp-eyed, well-turned-out, and honest to a fault, the Rooster notices the details and makes them count.

酉Yǒu · Yin Metal

1957Fire
1969Earth
1981Metal
1993Water
2005Wood
2017Fire
2029Earth

The next Rooster year begins at Lichun in 2029. Each year begins at Lichun, around February 4.

The Rooster in character

You were born under the tenth animal of the cycle, and the Rooster is pure yin metal. Think of metal that has been refined: a polished blade, a fine chain, a well-made watch. That is your nature. You notice what others skim past, the typo in the menu, the crooked frame, the bill that doesn't add up, and you feel a quiet urge to set it right. Yin polarity turns this inward and makes it precise rather than loud. You would rather fix a thing properly than talk about fixing it. People know where they stand with you, because you say what you see, sometimes before you have decided whether you should. You take pride in how you show up: the pressed shirt, the tidy desk, the plan with a backup. Underneath the crisp surface is someone who wants to be useful and to be trusted. When you love a place or a person, you look after it with steady, careful attention.

In love

In love you show care through action. You remember how your partner takes their coffee, you fix the wobbly chair, you plan the anniversary dinner weeks ahead. What you need in return is honesty and reliability: someone who keeps their word and doesn't play games. You also need to feel appreciated for the effort, even if you'd never ask out loud. The pitfall is that your eye for detail can turn into a running commentary. A partner may hear critique where you meant help. Try saying the admiring thing as readily as the corrective one, and let small imperfections stay small.

At work

At work you are the person who catches the error before it ships. You like clear standards, measurable results and a process that makes sense, and you will build one if none exists. Roles that reward precision suit you: editing, accounting, quality control, design, lab work, event planning, anything where the finish matters. You also present well, so client-facing work can fit when the product is solid. The pitfall is perfectionism that stalls delivery or makes colleagues feel watched. Decide in advance what "good enough" looks like for each task, and save your full polish for the work that truly needs it.

Gifts

Keen EyeYou spot the small mistake, the missing step or the better arrangement, and you care enough to fix it properly.
Plain HonestyYou say what you actually think, so friends and coworkers trust your feedback and know your praise is real.
Reliable Follow-ThroughWhen you agree to something, it gets done on time and done well, often with a backup plan tucked in.

Shadows

OvercorrectingNot every flaw needs your fix. Asking "Do you want my input?" first keeps helpful notes from landing as criticism.
PerfectionismPolishing past the point of need can cost sleep and deadlines. Setting a finish line before you start helps you stop.
Pride Under PressureBeing wrong can sting more than it should. Laughing at your own slip, out loud, makes it easier for everyone, including you.

The five Roosters

Every twelve years the Rooster returns with a different element, so each Rooster year comes round again every sixty.

木

The Wood Rooster

1945 · 2005

The Wood Rooster (1945, 2005) pairs crisp metal with growing wood, and the result is a Rooster with ideas about how things could be better, not just how they should be fixed. You likely enjoy projects that improve a neighborhood, a team or a household routine. Wood softens the edges and makes you more open to other people's methods. The stretch for you is finishing: so many good plans, so little patience for the last ten percent.

火

The Fire Rooster

1957 · 2017

The Fire Rooster (1957, 2017) is the most visible of the five. Fire meets metal the way a forge meets steel, so you carry heat and shine: strong opinions, a flair for presentation, a habit of taking the lead when a room goes quiet. You can rally people around a standard and make them want to meet it. The challenge is temper. A cooling pause before you send the sharp email saves a lot of repair work later.

土

The Earth Rooster

1909 · 1969 · 2029

The Earth Rooster (1909, 1969, 2029) has solid ground underfoot. Earth feeds metal, so this is a steady, patient version of the Rooster: thorough, practical, more interested in lasting results than in applause. You may be the one who keeps the family records, knows when the car needs servicing and quietly holds a team together. Your care runs deep. Watch for stubbornness, and let a new way of doing things prove itself before you decide against it.

金

The Metal Rooster

1921 · 1981 · 2041

The Metal Rooster (1921, 1981, 2041) doubles the Rooster's own element, so every trait comes through in sharp focus. You hold high standards, you know your own mind and you rarely miss a detail. Integrity matters enormously to you; a broken promise can feel like a personal injury. That clarity makes you a superb editor of plans and arguments. It helps to remember that others work at different speeds, and that kindness can be as exact as critique.

水

The Water Rooster

1933 · 1993

The Water Rooster (1933, 1993) adds flow to the Rooster's precision. Metal gives rise to water, and here that shows as a Rooster who thinks before speaking, reads people well and explains complicated things clearly. You may be drawn to research, writing, teaching or any work that turns information into understanding. You are more diplomatic than other Roosters, though you still notice everything. Your pitfall is overthinking; a walk or a conversation often settles what hours of analysis cannot.

The Rooster in 2026

The Year of the Fire Horse, and how it meets the Rooster.

Open ground

Polished Under Pressure

Rooster-born, you have no classical tie to the Horse, which leaves the year as open ground, yours to shape. Like the Monkey you carry metal, and fire works metal hard, but your version is more about standards. In a fast, loud year you may notice every rushed email and sloppy plan around you. Some of that eye is a gift, and teams may need it. Some of it may only wear you out. Choose two places where precision really matters and let the rest be good enough. Wear something that makes you feel sharp, keep your mornings orderly, and save critiques for written notes rather than heated meetings.

The year for every animal → How the year meets your whole chart →

The Rooster with every animal

Allies and secret friends first, then open ground, then the pairs that rub. Open any pair to read it.

Rooster & OxAllies

Ox and Rooster belong to the same harmony trine, a natural alliance, and they understand each other almost without trying. Both value reliability, hard work, and doing things properly. The Rooster notices every detail; the Ox has the stamina to see every detail through. Give them a shared kitchen and you get labeled jars, a meal plan on the fridge, and dinner on time, every time.

Their shared seriousness is the only real snag. The Rooster's critiques, meant as care, can land heavily on the Ox, who may simply go quiet and dig in. Life can also tilt toward all duty and no delight. What helps is softening the delivery and scheduling some joy as faithfully as the chores: a long drive, a favorite diner, a lazy morning. This alliance is steady; let it be warm, too.

The Ox → Compare two full charts →

Rooster & SnakeAllies

Snake and Rooster share the same harmony trine, a natural alliance that feels steady from the start. Both are thoughtful and careful, and neither wastes words on fluff. Rooster's honesty and eye for detail match Snake's quiet intuition beautifully. Picture them planning a trip together: Rooster builds the spreadsheet, Snake senses which little town is worth the detour, and the whole thing runs like a well-loved clock. Loyalty comes easily to both.

The friction is subtle. Rooster's concern can arrive sounding like critique, and Snake, who keeps its feelings private, may go cool and silent rather than say it stung. Rooster can soften the delivery and lead with appreciation before the correction. Snake can say plainly when something lands hard instead of withdrawing. With that small effort, their alliance grows deeper and wiser every year.

The Snake → Compare two full charts →

Rooster & DragonSecret friends

Dragon and Rooster are secret friends, and their bond often surprises onlookers. Dragon is the big vision; Rooster is the eye that catches every detail. Dragon announces the dinner party for twenty, and Rooster quietly makes the seating chart, counts the forks, and remembers who is vegetarian. Each makes the other look brilliant. Rooster admires Dragon's courage, and Dragon values Rooster's loyalty and straight talk more than flattery.

Where they rub is pride. Rooster's honest critique, meant as care, can sting Dragon's ego, especially in front of others, and Dragon's grand gestures can seem careless to Rooster's high standards. Both can dig in, each certain they are right. What helps is saving critiques for private moments, and Dragon remembering that Rooster's attention to detail is a form of devotion. This pair shines brightest as a team.

The Dragon → Compare two full charts →

Two RoostersThe same animalPunishment

Two Roosters understand each other instantly: the high standards, the love shown through practical care, the satisfaction of a job done properly. As colleagues, family, or partners, they run a tight ship. Picture two Roosters planning a holiday with a color-coded itinerary and every booking confirmed. Both are secretly delighted that someone else finally cares about the details as much as they do. Loyalty and honest talk come naturally.

The catch is that both speak in critique. Concern that comes out as correction lands twice as hard when the other Rooster is correcting right back. A small disagreement about how to load the dishwasher can become a matter of principle, and neither likes to yield. What helps is deliberate praise, noticing out loud what the other got right. Two sharp eyes work best when they look in the same direction.

Compare two full charts →

Rooster & TigerOpen ground

Tiger and Rooster meet on open ground, with no classical bond either way, so the relationship rests on what each brings. The Tiger brings boldness and big feeling. The Rooster brings sharp eyes, reliability, and straight-talking loyalty. They share a love of honesty, which is rarer than it sounds. Imagine planning a move together: the Tiger finds the dream apartment in an afternoon, and the Rooster reads the lease and catches the hidden fee.

The rub is that the Rooster shows care through critique, and the Tiger, who needs admiration, can hear only the correction. Meanwhile the Tiger's leap-first style makes the Rooster anxious about every unchecked detail. Rooster, lead with what you admire before you point out the flaw. Tiger, recognize the attention behind the notes. Two honest hearts can learn to be honest gently.

The Tiger → Compare two full charts →

Rooster & HorseOpen ground

Horse and Rooster meet on open ground, with no old bond either way, so what they make depends on how well they use their differences. Rooster brings order, honesty, and a sharp eye; Horse brings warmth, spontaneity, and fresh air. On a work project, Rooster keeps the details tight while Horse charms the client and keeps morale high. Each quietly admires what the other does effortlessly.

The rub is structure versus freedom. Rooster's high standards can sound like critique, and Horse, who hates feeling hemmed in, may bolt from a lecture about the dishes or the budget. Rooster can frame care as an invitation rather than a correction. Horse can show up for the plans that matter to Rooster, on time. Respect for each other's rhythm turns this into a lively, loyal pairing.

The Horse → Compare two full charts →

Rooster & GoatOpen ground

Goat and Rooster meet on open ground, with no old bond pulling them together or apart, so whatever grows here is built by hand. The Goat brings softness, color, and a gift for making a room feel like home. The Rooster brings order, reliability, and a sharp eye that catches the leak before it floods the floor. Picture a shared kitchen where the Goat arranges flowers on the table while the Rooster has already labeled every jar. Together they can make something both beautiful and well run.

The rub comes when the Rooster's careful notes land on the Goat's tender heart like criticism. A remark about the unwashed pan can feel, to the Goat, like a verdict on their whole self. Rooster, lead with appreciation before correction. Goat, try hearing the care underneath the comment.

The Goat → Compare two full charts →

Rooster & MonkeyOpen ground

Monkey and Rooster meet on open ground. They are two metal signs with no classical bond either way, and both are sharp in their own fashion. The Monkey improvises while the Rooster perfects. On a work project this can be a gift: the Monkey dreams up the clever solution at midnight, and the Rooster checks every figure before it goes out the door. They respect each other's intelligence, and neither ever bores the other.

They rub when styles collide. The Monkey's teasing can sting the Rooster's pride, and the Rooster's precise corrections can feel like a leash to the Monkey, who hates being pinned down. A tangle over a messy shared budget could become a contest of wits. What helps is dividing the turf. Let the Rooster own the details, let the Monkey own the ideas, and agree to laugh when the two overlap.

The Monkey → Compare two full charts →

Rooster & PigOpen ground

Rooster and Pig share open ground, with no classical bond either way, and they balance each other in useful ways. The Rooster offers structure, reliability, and a keen eye. The Pig offers warmth, generosity, and an easy laugh that loosens the Rooster's shoulders. Picture a family gathering where the Rooster has perfected the seating plan and the timing of the roast, and the Pig makes everyone feel welcome the moment they walk in.

The rub is money and generosity. The Pig gives freely, sometimes too freely, and the Rooster may tally the cost aloud. To the Pig, that can sound cold. To the Rooster, the Pig's openness can look careless. What helps is the Rooster appreciating the heart behind the giving and the Pig valuing the Rooster's care for the future. A shared budget with room for kindness keeps both content.

The Pig → Compare two full charts →

Rooster & RatBreak

Rat and Rooster meet on open ground, and both of you bring sharp eyes to life. The Rooster catches every detail and keeps high standards, and the Rat spots openings and moves fast. Together you can run a household or a project with impressive precision, like one of you finding the perfect apartment and the other reading every line of the lease. There is mutual respect for competence here.

The friction comes when precision meets improvisation. The Rooster's concern can sound like critique, and the Rat, who prefers a little freedom to maneuver, may bristle or quietly work around the rules. Small things like how the dishwasher is loaded can become stand-ins for bigger questions of trust. Divide territory clearly and praise each other's methods. Rooster, frame suggestions as care. Rat, let the Rooster in on your plan before you act on it.

The Rat → Compare two full charts →

Rooster & DogHarm

Rooster and Dog meet on open ground, with no classical bond either way, yet they share something important: both prize honesty over flattery. The Rooster shows care with practical attention, and the Dog shows it with steady, protective loyalty. They make a dependable pair, the kind of friends or family who show up early to help with a move, the Rooster labeling boxes and the Dog carrying the heavy ones without complaint.

Friction comes when the Rooster's sharp eye meets the Dog's anxious heart. A blunt note about how something was done can make the Dog wonder whether the bond itself is in question. And the Dog's worry can read to the Rooster as doubt in their competence. What helps is the Rooster softening the delivery and the Dog asking directly rather than brooding. Their shared honesty is the bridge, used gently.

The Dog → Compare two full charts →

Rooster & RabbitClash

Rabbit and Rooster sit opposite each other on the zodiac wheel, and the pull between them is real. Rooster notices everything: the bill due Thursday, the loose cupboard hinge, the friend who never pays back. Rabbit notices how everyone in the room is feeling. Together, whether as partners, siblings, or coworkers, they cover both the practical and the emotional ground, and a shared home can end up both beautifully kept and genuinely calm.

The friction comes from Rooster's straight talk landing on Rabbit's soft heart. A simple 'you loaded the dishwasher wrong' can feel like a verdict to Rabbit, who may go quiet rather than push back. Rooster then reads silence as agreement. What helps is a small ritual: Rooster leads with appreciation before any correction, and Rabbit says out loud when something stung. Handled this way, the clash becomes polish rather than injury.

The Rabbit → Compare two full charts →

The Rooster beyond the year

Your year animal is one of eight characters. The Rooster can sit in the others too.

The Rooster’s hour

5 PM to 7 PM, by the Sun

If you were born between 5 PM and 7 PM by the Sun's time at your birth place, the Rooster is your secret, or hour, animal. It colors your private self: the one who straightens the kitchen before bed, keeps careful notes and holds quiet standards that only close people ever see.

Find your secret animal →

The Rooster’s month

The Rooster month

Born from about September 8 to October 7, you have the Rooster as your inner, or month, animal. This is the season of harvest and clear autumn air, and it gives your character a sorting instinct: you know what to keep, what to let go and how to finish what you start.

Raise your four pillars →

Inside the Rooster

Its hidden stems

Most animals carry two or three hidden stems, but the Rooster holds just one: Yin Metal, the same as its outer element. Nothing inside pulls in another direction. That is why the Rooster tends to be what it appears to be, consistent in private and in public. Yin Metal is jewelry rather than an ax, refined, exact and quietly valuable. It adds discernment, taste and a strong sense of what is right.

Weigh your elements →

All twelve animals

Rat

Tiger

Rabbit

Dragon

Snake

Horse

Goat

Monkey

Rooster

Dog

Pig

More Chinese astrology

The BaZi Calculator Your four pillars, cast from the exact moment of your birth.

This Year The Chinese year now running, and what it holds for each animal.

Compatibility Two full charts, read the way a BaZi reader compares two people.

Clashing With the Year? How the year meets every pillar of your chart.

Your Secret Animal The animal of your birth hour, read by the Sun.

The Five Elements Your five elements weighed, hidden stems included.

the deeper lore

The Chinese Astrology Library

The Four Pillars (BaZi)

the whole system

The Heavenly Stems

the sky layer

III

The Earthly Branches

the ground layer

The Day Master

the centre

Yin & Yang

the polarity

Lichun — the Solar New Year

the year's gate

Ready to raise your own pillars? Cast My BaZi Chart

The Year of the Rooster, answered

Which years are Rooster years?

Recent Rooster years include 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005 and 2017, and 2029 follows in the cycle. In BaZi the year does not begin on January 1 or at the Lunar New Year but at Lichun, when the Sun reaches 315 degrees, around February 4. If your birthday falls in January or early February of one of these years, you may belong to the Monkey, the animal before. Check the exact Lichun moment for your birth year.

What is the Rooster's personality like?

The Rooster is yin metal: refined, observant and precise. People born in Rooster years tend to notice details, speak honestly, keep their word and take pride in doing things well, from how they dress to how they run a project. They are dependable friends and careful planners. Their common pitfalls are perfectionism and a habit of correcting others. These are tendencies, not fixed rules, and each person expresses them in their own way.

Who is the Rooster most compatible with?

The Rooster's closest allies are the Ox and the Snake. Together the three form a three harmony group, sharing a practical, purposeful outlook that makes teamwork feel natural. The Dragon is the Rooster's six harmony partner, often called a secret friend: an easy, supportive bond where the Dragon's boldness meets the Rooster's polish. Compatibility by year animal is only a starting point, though. Real relationships depend on the whole person and the effort both people bring.

Which animal clashes with the Rooster?

The Rabbit sits directly opposite the Rooster in the cycle, so their branches clash. The Rooster's crisp metal meets the Rabbit's gentle wood, and the two can rub each other the wrong way over style and pace. The Rooster also has a break with the Rat and a harm with the Dog, both considered milder strains. A clash is friction, not a ban: Rooster and Rabbit pairs can do well when they respect their differences.

What are the five types of Rooster?

Each Rooster year carries one of five elements from its Heavenly Stem, repeating every 60 years. The Wood Rooster (1945, 2005) is idea-driven and open. The Fire Rooster (1957, 2017) is bold and expressive. The Earth Rooster (1909, 1969, 2029) is steady and practical. The Metal Rooster (1921, 1981, 2041) is the sharpest and most principled. The Water Rooster (1933, 1993) is thoughtful and diplomatic.

Is my Chinese zodiac animal the whole story?

No. Your year animal is one of eight characters in a full BaZi chart, built from the year, month, day and hour of your birth. Your month animal shapes your inner nature, your hour animal your private self, and your day stem is often read as your core self. Two people born in the same Rooster year can look quite different once the whole chart is read, which is why a full birth chart gives a far richer picture.

Explore every tool

Every free reading, chart and calculator on the site, gathered here so you can find yours.