Chinese zodiac · 丑 Chǒu
Year of the Ox
The Ox is the second of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, the animal of the earthly branch Chǒu. Each Ox year starts at Lì Chūn, the Start of Spring, around February 4, not on January 1.
At a glance
- In Chinese
- 牛 (niú); the branch 丑 (chǒu)
- Ox years
- 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
- Next Ox year
- 2033, from Lì Chūn at 8:42 pm on February 3, Beijing time (Lunar New Year: January 31, 2033)
- The branch's own element
- Earth
- Ox hour
- 1 am to 3 am, by the sun
- Ox month
- From 小寒 (Slight Cold), about January 5, to 立春 (Start of Spring), about February 4
- Matches in tradition
- Six combination: Rat (子). Three harmony: Snake (巳) and Rooster (酉).
- Clash in tradition
- Goat (未)
- 2027 almanac lists
- Clash (冲太岁) and punishment (刑太岁)
Every Ox year, with exact dates
| Year | Name | By Lunar New Year | By Lì Chūn (Beijing time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 乙丑, Wood Ox | 24 Jan 1925 to 12 Feb 1926 | 4 Feb 1925, 3:36 pm to 4 Feb 1926, 9:38 pm |
| 1937 | 丁丑, Fire Ox | 11 Feb 1937 to 30 Jan 1938 | 4 Feb 1937, 1:25 pm to 4 Feb 1938, 7:14 pm |
| 1949 | 己丑, Earth Ox | 29 Jan 1949 to 16 Feb 1950 | 4 Feb 1949, 11:23 am to 4 Feb 1950, 5:20 pm |
| 1961 | 辛丑, Metal Ox | 15 Feb 1961 to 4 Feb 1962 | 4 Feb 1961, 9:22 am to 4 Feb 1962, 3:17 pm |
| 1973 | 癸丑, Water Ox | 3 Feb 1973 to 22 Jan 1974 | 4 Feb 1973, 7:04 am to 4 Feb 1974, 1:00 pm |
| 1985 | 乙丑, Wood Ox | 20 Feb 1985 to 8 Feb 1986 | 4 Feb 1985, 5:12 am to 4 Feb 1986, 11:07 am |
| 1997 | 丁丑, Fire Ox | 7 Feb 1997 to 27 Jan 1998 | 4 Feb 1997, 3:02 am to 4 Feb 1998, 8:56 am |
| 2009 | 己丑, Earth Ox | 26 Jan 2009 to 13 Feb 2010 | 4 Feb 2009, 12:50 am to 4 Feb 2010, 6:47 am |
| 2021 | 辛丑, Metal Ox | 12 Feb 2021 to 31 Jan 2022 | 3 Feb 2021, 10:59 pm to 4 Feb 2022, 4:50 am |
| 2033 | 癸丑, Water Ox | 31 Jan 2033 to 18 Feb 2034 | 3 Feb 2033, 8:42 pm to 4 Feb 2034, 2:40 am |
Take a made-up birth on February 5, 2021. Lì Chūn had come at 10:59 pm on February 3, Beijing time, so in BaZi that baby is an Ox. Lunar New Year didn't come until February 12, 2021, so many zodiac calendars still say a Rat. Both answers are in use; this site counts from Lì Chūn.
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The Ox's five elements
Wood Ox, 乙丑: 1925, 1985. Na Yin: Gold in the Sea (海中金).
Fire Ox, 丁丑: 1937, 1997. Na Yin: Valley Stream Water (涧下水).
Earth Ox, 己丑: 1949, 2009. Na Yin: Thunderbolt Fire (霹雳火).
Metal Ox, 辛丑: 1961, 2021. Na Yin: Wall Earth (壁上土).
Water Ox, 癸丑: 1973, 2033. Na Yin: Mulberry Wood (桑柘木).
The element comes from the year's heavenly stem, so it changes every two years and comes back every ten. The Na Yin is a second element that tradition gives each of the sixty pairs.
The Ox in folk tradition
In the folk tale of the great race, the Ox carried the Rat across the river without knowing it, and came in second.
Popular lore describes people born in an Ox year as hardworking, patient, honest and dependable.
These are folk descriptions, not facts about anyone born in an Ox year.
Ox compatibility in tradition: matches and clashes
Six combination (六合) with the Rat (子): each branch has one partner of this kind.
Three harmony (三合) with the Snake (巳) and the Rooster (酉): together, the three make the Metal trio.
Clash (冲) with the Goat (未): the branch opposite on the circle of twelve.
Harm (害) with the Horse (午); punishment (刑) with the Goat (未) and the Dog (戌); break (破) with the Dragon (辰).
These are relations between two year branches, one character of eight in each chart. They're tradition, not a verdict on a couple. A full comparison reads both whole charts.
The Ox in 2027
2027 is a Fire Goat year, 丁未, from Lì Chūn on February 4, 2027.
- The 2027 almanac's two lists: Tai Sui, and combining with the year
- Clash (冲太岁) and punishment (刑太岁)
These two lists are printed here as the almanac gives them, with no verdict attached: being on either one, or on neither, says nothing about how the year goes.
The other animals
Sources
China Culture, MiraCosta College Library, China Daily (2015), China Daily (2023), Asian Art Museum, CGTN
A traditional reading for entertainment, reflection and cultural interest, not a prediction or professional advice. Disclaimer
Last updated: 2026-11-13