1979 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Goat
己未 · 羊 Yáng
1979 is the Year of the Earth Goat (also called the Sheep and Ram). The Chinese year ran from Jan 28, 1979 to Feb 15, 1980, so anyone born in that span is an Earth Goat. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Jan 28, 1979, and earlier births belong to the Earth Horse year.
- Goat
- Earth
- Yin
Born in 1979?
Enter your birth date to check, down to the exact Lunar New Year.
Month and day are optional. Add them if you were born in January or February. See January and February Chinese zodiac.
1979 at a Glance
- Animal
- Goat 羊 yáng
- Element
- Earth
- Yin or Yang
- Yin
- Year name
- 己未 · sound element 天上火
- Begins
- Sunday, Jan 28, 1979
- Ends
- Feb 15, 1980
- Age in 2026
- 46 or 47
- Next Goat year
- 1991
1979 Earth Goat
A New Year greeting, 三阳开泰, plays on 羊 (goat) sounding like 阳 (sunlight, yang), and New Year pictures often show three goats for good luck. 2027 is a Goat year, the fourth own sign year for a 1979 Goat, who turns 48.
The 1979 year began on Jan 28, 1979 and ran to Feb 15, 1980, so most birthdays in the first half of February 1980 are Earth Goats.
Born in January or Early February 1979?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 1979 was on Sunday, Jan 28, 1979, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 27, 1979 | Earth Horse | 戊午 |
| Jan 28, 1979 to Feb 15, 1980 | Earth Goat | 己未 |
So someone born on Jan 27, 1979 is an Earth Horse, and someone born on Jan 28, 1979 is an Earth Goat. Dates are in China Standard Time.
What Is an Earth Goat?
An Earth Goat combines the Goat with the element of the birth year. 1979 ends in 9, which gives Earth. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Earth Goat years include 1919.
How Old Is a 1979 Goat, and When Is the Next Goat Year?
Someone born in 1979 turns 47 in 2026 and 48 in 2027. The last Goat year was 1967, and the next is 1991. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Goat years a 1979 Goat lives through:
- 1979Earth GoatBornThis page
- 1991 Chinese zodiacMetal GoatTurns 12
- 2003 Chinese zodiacWater GoatTurns 24
- 2015 Chinese zodiacWood GoatTurns 36
- 2027 Chinese zodiacFire GoatTurns 48
1979 Goat Compatibility: Best and Hardest Matches
Compatibility follows the animal, not the element. Tradition favors the signs in the Goat's trine group and its Secret Friend, and is cautious about the opposite sign and the harm pair.
The 1979 Goat in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Goat to the next two years, and how old a 1979 Goat will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Supported
Turns 47. Link to the Horse: Secret Friend (六合).
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Own Sign Year
Turns 48. Link to the Goat: Own sign year (本命年).
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 1979, and the other years of the decade.
- 1977 Chinese zodiacFire SnakeFeb 18, 1977 to Feb 6, 1978
- 1978 Chinese zodiacEarth HorseFeb 7, 1978 to Jan 27, 1979
- 1979Earth GoatJan 28, 1979 to Feb 15, 1980
- 1980 Chinese zodiacMetal MonkeyFeb 16, 1980 to Feb 4, 1981
- 1981 Chinese zodiacMetal RoosterFeb 5, 1981 to Jan 24, 1982
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
1970 Chinese zodiac1971 Chinese zodiac1972 Chinese zodiac1973 Chinese zodiac1974 Chinese zodiac1975 Chinese zodiac1976 Chinese zodiac1977 Chinese zodiac1978 Chinese zodiac1979All Chinese zodiac years
1979 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 1979?
1979 is the Year of the Earth Goat (also called the Sheep and Ram). The Chinese year ran from Jan 28, 1979 to Feb 15, 1980.
What element is the 1979 Chinese zodiac?
Earth. A year's element follows its last digit: 9 gives Earth. The Goat's own fixed element is Earth, which is a different thing.
What Chinese zodiac is January 1979?
Lunar New Year 1979 fell on Sunday, Jan 28, 1979. Born from January 1 to Jan 27, 1979, you are an Earth Horse. From Jan 28, 1979, you are an Earth Goat.
How old is someone born in 1979?
In 2026 they turn 47, or are 46 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 48. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Goat year after 1979?
1991, the Year of the Metal Goat, begins on Feb 15, 1991.