Chinese zodiac · 巳 Sì
Year of the Snake
The Snake is the sixth of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, the animal of the earthly branch Sì. Each Snake year starts at Lì Chūn, the Start of Spring, around February 4, not on January 1.
At a glance
- In Chinese
- 蛇 (shé); the branch 巳 (sì)
- Snake years
- 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037
- Next Snake year
- 2037, from Lì Chūn at 8:11 pm on February 3, Beijing time (Lunar New Year: February 15, 2037)
- The branch's own element
- Fire
- Snake hour
- 9 am to 11 am, by the sun
- Snake month
- From 立夏 (Start of Summer), about May 5, to 芒种 (Grain in Ear), about June 5
- Matches in tradition
- Six combination: Monkey (申). Three harmony: Rooster (酉) and Ox (丑).
- Clash in tradition
- Pig (亥)
- 2027 almanac lists
- On neither list
Every Snake year, with exact dates
| Year | Name | By Lunar New Year | By Lì Chūn (Beijing time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | 己巳, Earth Snake | 10 Feb 1929 to 29 Jan 1930 | 4 Feb 1929, 3:08 pm to 4 Feb 1930, 8:51 pm |
| 1941 | 辛巳, Metal Snake | 27 Jan 1941 to 14 Feb 1942 | 4 Feb 1941, 12:50 pm to 4 Feb 1942, 6:48 pm |
| 1953 | 癸巳, Water Snake | 14 Feb 1953 to 2 Feb 1954 | 4 Feb 1953, 10:46 am to 4 Feb 1954, 4:30 pm |
| 1965 | 乙巳, Wood Snake | 2 Feb 1965 to 20 Jan 1966 | 4 Feb 1965, 8:46 am to 4 Feb 1966, 2:37 pm |
| 1977 | 丁巳, Fire Snake | 18 Feb 1977 to 6 Feb 1978 | 4 Feb 1977, 6:33 am to 4 Feb 1978, 12:26 pm |
| 1989 | 己巳, Earth Snake | 6 Feb 1989 to 26 Jan 1990 | 4 Feb 1989, 4:27 am to 4 Feb 1990, 10:13 am |
| 2001 | 辛巳, Metal Snake | 24 Jan 2001 to 11 Feb 2002 | 4 Feb 2001, 2:29 am to 4 Feb 2002, 8:24 am |
| 2013 | 癸巳, Water Snake | 10 Feb 2013 to 30 Jan 2014 | 4 Feb 2013, 12:13 am to 4 Feb 2014, 6:03 am |
| 2025 | 乙巳, Wood Snake | 29 Jan 2025 to 16 Feb 2026 | 3 Feb 2025, 10:10 pm to 4 Feb 2026, 4:01 am |
| 2037 | 丁巳, Fire Snake | 15 Feb 2037 to 3 Feb 2038 | 3 Feb 2037, 8:11 pm to 4 Feb 2038, 2:03 am |
Take a made-up birth on January 29, 2025, the day of Lunar New Year. Many zodiac calendars call that baby a Snake. Lì Chūn didn't come until 10:10 pm on February 3, Beijing time, so in BaZi the year was still 甲辰, the Wood Dragon. Both answers are in use; this site counts from Lì Chūn.
Check your birthday
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The Snake's five elements
Wood Snake, 乙巳: 1965, 2025. Na Yin: Covered Lamp Fire (覆灯火).
Fire Snake, 丁巳: 1977, 2037. Na Yin: Sandy Earth (沙中土).
Earth Snake, 己巳: 1929, 1989. Na Yin: Great Forest Wood (大林木).
Metal Snake, 辛巳: 1941, 2001. Na Yin: White Wax Metal (白蜡金).
Water Snake, 癸巳: 1953, 2013. Na Yin: Long-Flowing Water (长流水).
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 Snake in folk tradition
In the folk tale of the great race, the Snake hid in the Horse's hoof to get across the river, then jumped out at the last minute and scared the Horse, and came in sixth.
Popular lore describes people born in a Snake year as suspicious and wise.
These are folk descriptions, not facts about anyone born in a Snake year.
Snake compatibility in tradition: matches and clashes
Six combination (六合) with the Monkey (申): each branch has one partner of this kind.
Three harmony (三合) with the Rooster (酉) and the Ox (丑): together, the three make the Metal trio.
Clash (冲) with the Pig (亥): the branch opposite on the circle of twelve.
Harm (害) with the Tiger (寅); punishment (刑) with the Tiger (寅) and the Monkey (申); break (破) with the Monkey (申).
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 Snake 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
- On neither list
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
MiraCosta College Library, China Culture, China Daily (2013), China Daily (2015), China Daily (2023), Asian Art Museum
A traditional reading for entertainment, reflection and cultural interest, not a prediction or professional advice. Disclaimer
Last updated: 2026-11-13