Chinese Zodiac · 丑 · 牛
Year of the Ox
Steady, patient and dependable
In 2027 (丁未, Fire Goat)
2027 · the Fire Goat year →A Tai Sui relation (犯太歲) is traditionally read as a year to move steadily and look after routines — never as a threat.
2027 is a 丁未 year: fire (丁) over earth (未).
The Ox's branch, hour and season
- Earthly Branch
- 丑 · YinEarth
- Double hour
- 丑時 · 01:00–03:00
- Solar month
- 丑月 · 小寒 → 立春 (about January 6 to February 4)
- Season
- Winter
- Hidden stems (藏干)
- 己 癸 辛
- Direction
- 30° on the compass (子 is due north)
These correspondences belong to the branch itself, so they are the same in every Year of the Ox. The same branch also names an hour of the day and a solar month, which is how it appears in the hour and month pillars of a BaZi chart.
Traditional matches
古籍
From the classics
Wang Chong's Lùn Héng (1st century AD) is the earliest text that pairs each Earthly Branch with its animal.
丑未亦土也，丑禽牛，未禽羊也。Chou and Wei are also earth: Chou's creature is the ox, Wei's is the sheep.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
The classical Chinese is the authoritative text. Translations are iching.tools' own from the Chinese unless another translator is named; several attributions are traditional rather than historical (託名).
Years of the Ox
Each year begins at the Start of Spring (立春), around 4 February. Born before that moment? You belong to the previous animal. Ages count from the year listed; someone born the following January, before 立春, is a year younger.
| Year | Pillar | Element | Starts (Start of Spring, Beijing time) | Age in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 乙丑 | Wood Ox | 1925-02-04 15:36 | 101 (虛歲 102) |
| 1937 | 丁丑 | Fire Ox | 1937-02-04 13:25 | 89 (虛歲 90) |
| 1949 | 己丑 | Earth Ox | 1949-02-04 11:22 | 77 (虛歲 78) |
| 1961 | 辛丑 | Metal Ox | 1961-02-04 09:22 | 65 (虛歲 66) |
| 1973 | 癸丑 | Water Ox | 1973-02-04 07:04 | 53 (虛歲 54) |
| 1985 | 乙丑 | Wood Ox | 1985-02-04 05:11 | 41 (虛歲 42) |
| 1997 | 丁丑 | Fire Ox | 1997-02-04 03:01 | 29 (虛歲 30) |
| 2009 | 己丑 | Earth Ox | 2009-02-04 00:49 | 17 (虛歲 18) |
| 2021 | 辛丑 | Metal Ox | 2021-02-03 22:58 | 5 (虛歲 6) |
| 2033 | 癸丑 | Water Ox | 2033-02-03 20:41 | — |
Year of the Ox: common questions
- How old are people born in the Year of the Ox?
- In 2026: 5 if born in 2021 (虛歲 6), 17 if born in 2009 (虛歲 18), 29 if born in 1997 (虛歲 30), 41 if born in 1985 (虛歲 42), 53 if born in 1973 (虛歲 54), and 65 if born in 1961 (虛歲 66). 虛歲 is the traditional Chinese count, in which a baby is one at birth and everyone gains a year together at New Year.
- Which years are Years of the Ox?
- Recent Years of the Ox are 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, and 2021. Each begins at 立春 (Start of Spring, around 4 February), not on 1 January or at Chinese New Year.
- Which signs go well with the Ox?
- By the traditional branch relations, the Ox's Six Harmony (六合) partner is the Rat, and it forms a Three Harmony (三合) group with the Snake and Rooster. Its opposite (六沖) is the Goat; tradition reads that as contrasting rhythms rather than a bad match.
- Does the Ox offend Tai Sui in 2027?
- Yes. In the 丁未 year 2027 the Ox has these traditional Tai Sui relations: Clashing Tai Sui and Punishing Tai Sui. Tradition treats this as a year to keep steady and look after daily routines, not as a threat.
- I was born in January or early February. Am I a Ox?
- Only if you were born after 立春 (Start of Spring, about 4 February) of a Year of the Ox. Someone born in January, or in February before 立春, belongs to the previous sign, the Rat. The zodiac calculator checks your birth against the exact 立春 instant.