--- title: "Chinese Zodiac: Your Animal and Element by Birthday, 2026 Year of the Fire Horse | Mandarin The Wild" description: "Find your Chinese zodiac animal and element from your exact birthday, what they mean, and say it in Chinese: 我属马. 2026 is the Year of the Horse, 马年. The 12 animals with their years and pinyin. Free." canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac" published: "2026-10-15" updated: "2026-10-26" author: "Mandarin The Wild" --- Free tool · No sign-up # Chinese zodiac Put in your birthday to find your animal and element, counted from the exact day of Chinese New Year, what they mean, and how to say it in Chinese. 2026 is the Year of the Horse, 马年. Born 15 June 1990 马 mǎ Metal Horse **Say it** 我属马 wǒ shǔ mǎ **Element** 金 jīn Metal **Your year** 1990, 庚午 gēng wǔ, from 27 January 1990 ## You are a Horse, 马 The Horse runs free. People born in a Horse year are said to be lively, warm and independent, quick on their feet and happiest on the move and in good company. ### Strengths - [活泼 huó pō lively](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%B4%BB%E6%B3%BC) - [热情 rè qíng warm-hearted](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%83%AD%E6%83%85) - [独立 dú lì independent](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%8B%AC%E7%AB%8B) ### Watch out for - 没耐心 méi nài xīn impatient - [任性 rèn xìng headstrong](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BB%BB%E6%80%A7) ### Best matches and clash - [狗Dog三合 best friends](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/dog) - [虎Tiger三合 best friends](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/tiger) - [羊Goat六合 secret friend](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/goat) - [鼠Rat六冲 clash](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/rat) 2026, the Year of the Horse, is your 本命年 (běn mìng nián), your own year, which comes round every twelve years. Tradition says it is a year to go carefully, and many people wear red for luck. ### Sayings with the Horse - [马到成功 mǎ dào chéng gōng success as the horses arrive: instant success](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%A9%AC%E5%88%B0%E6%88%90%E5%8A%9F) - [马马虎虎 mǎ ma hū hū “horse horse tiger tiger”: so-so](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%A9%AC%E9%A9%AC%E8%99%8E%E8%99%8E) ### Horse years and their elements - [1930 庚午 Metal](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1930) - [1942 壬午 Water](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1942) - [1954 甲午 Wood](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1954) - [1966 丙午 Fire](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1966) - [1978 戊午 Earth](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1978) - [1990 庚午 Metal](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1990) - [2002 壬午 Water](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2002) - [2014 甲午 Wood](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2014) - [2026 丙午 Fire](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2026) What tradition says, for fun. The matches are the classical 三合 and 六合; 六冲 is the animal six years away. ## What Metal means 金Metal is strength and a clean edge, the harvest of autumn. People born in a Metal year are said to be determined and clear-minded, sure of what they want. **Season** 秋 qiū autumn **Direction** 西 xī west **Colour** 白 bái white ### Words for a Metal Horse - 活泼 huópō lively - 坚强 jiānqiáng strong-willed - 果断 guǒduàn decisive Each year has one of five elements, 五行 wǔ xíng, two years each, so the same animal and element meet once every sixty years. The traits are what tradition says, for fun. ## Share yours Post your sign and ask your friends theirs: 你属什么？ ## The 12 animals and their years Open an animal for its personality, matches, sayings and every year with its element. 1. [鼠shǔRat196019721984199620082020](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/rat) 2. [牛niúOx196119731985199720092021](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/ox) 3. [虎hǔTiger196219741986199820102022](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/tiger) 4. [兔tùRabbit196319751987199920112023](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/rabbit) 5. [龙lóngDragon196419761988200020122024](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/dragon) 6. [蛇shéSnake196519771989200120132025](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/snake) 7. [马mǎHorse196619781990200220142026](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/horse) 8. [羊yángGoat196719791991200320152027](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/goat) 9. [猴hóuMonkey196819801992200420162028](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/monkey) 10. [鸡jīRooster196919811993200520172029](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/rooster) 11. [狗gǒuDog197019821994200620182030](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/dog) 12. [猪zhūPig197119831995200720192031](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/pig) ## How the zodiac works Each year of the Chinese calendar belongs to one of twelve animals, in a cycle that starts again every twelve years. The year begins at Chinese New Year, so a January or February birthday can belong to the year before. This page counts from each year’s New Year from 1900 to 2100. ## Saying it in Chinese The zodiac is 生肖 shēng xiào, and your animal is what you 属, “belong to”: 我属马 wǒ shǔ mǎ. To ask, 你属什么？ nǐ shǔ shén me? A year is named the same way: 马年 mǎ nián is the Year of the Horse. In everyday speech some animals take a longer word: a tiger is 老虎 lǎo hǔ and a monkey 猴子 hóu zi, but you still say 我属虎 wǒ shǔ hǔ. ## Your 本命年 The year of your own animal comes round every twelve years and is your 本命年 běn mìng nián. Many people wear red that year for luck. ## Questions ### What Chinese zodiac year is 2026? 2026 is the Year of the Horse, 马年 (mǎ nián). It began on 17 February 2026 and runs to the day before Chinese New Year on 7 February 2027. ### How do you say your zodiac animal in Chinese? Say 我属 (wǒ shǔ) and the animal: 我属马, “I belong to the Horse”. To ask someone, say 你属什么？ (nǐ shǔ shén me?). ### Why does my animal depend on my birthday, not just my year? The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, between 21 January and 20 February, not on 1 January. In 1990 the New Year fell on 27 January, so someone born on 1 February 1990 is a Horse, and someone born on 20 January 1990 is still a Snake. ### What is my Chinese zodiac element? Each year also has one of five elements, Wood 木, Fire 火, Earth 土, Metal 金 and Water 水, two years each, from the year's heavenly stem. 2026 is a Fire year, so its people are Fire Horses. Put in your birthday above to see yours and what tradition says it means. ### What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in order? Rat 鼠, Ox 牛, Tiger 虎, Rabbit 兔, Dragon 龙, Snake 蛇, Horse 马, Goat 羊, Monkey 猴, Rooster 鸡, Dog 狗 and Pig 猪. ## More free tools - [Chinese age calculator](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-age-calculator) - [Dates and time](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dates-and-time) - [Family members](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-family-members) - [Your name in Chinese](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-name) - [Read any Mandarin](https://mandarinthewild.com/read)