牛
Year of the Ox
牛 . Born in 1985, 1997, 2009 or 2021? Here is what tradition says about you, who you match, and the sayings to know.
Ox personality
The Ox carried the Rat across the river and came in second. People born in an Ox year are said to be patient, honest and hard-working: slow to start, and then impossible to stop.
Watch out for
Best matches and clash
2026, the Year of the Horse, is neither your own year nor a clash, so tradition calls it an ordinary year for you.
Sayings with the Ox
- 对牛弹琴 play the lute to an ox: talk to the wrong audience
- 九牛一毛 one hair off nine oxen: a drop in the ocean
Ox years and their elements
- 1925 乙丑 Wood
- 1937 丁丑 Fire
- 1949 己丑 Earth
- 1961 辛丑 Metal
- 1973 癸丑 Water
- 1985 乙丑 Wood
- 1997 丁丑 Fire
- 2009 己丑 Earth
- 2021 辛丑 Metal
What tradition says, for fun. The matches are the classical 三合 and 六合; 六冲 is the animal six years away.
Questions
What years are the Year of the Ox?
1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021. Each year starts at Chinese New Year, so a January or February birthday can belong to the year before; put in your birthday on the zodiac finder to be sure.
Who is the Ox compatible with?
Tradition matches the Ox with the Snake and the Rooster (三合, the three harmonies) and with the Rat (六合, its secret friend). It clashes with the Goat.
How do you say Ox in Chinese?
牛 (niú). To say you were born in a Ox year, say 我属牛 (wǒ shǔ niú).