1981 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Rooster
辛酉 · 鸡 Jī
1981 is the Year of the Metal Rooster (also called the Chicken). The Chinese year ran from Feb 5, 1981 to Jan 24, 1982, so anyone born in that span is a Metal Rooster. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Feb 5, 1981, and earlier births belong to the Metal Monkey year.
- Rooster
- Metal
- Yin
Born in 1981?
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.
1981 at a Glance
- Animal
- Rooster 鸡 jī
- Element
- Metal
- Yin or Yang
- Yin
- Year name
- 辛酉 · sound element 石榴木
- Begins
- Thursday, Feb 5, 1981
- Ends
- Jan 24, 1982
- Age in 2026
- 44 or 45
- Next Rooster year
- 1993
1981 Metal Rooster
The idiom 闻鸡起舞, “rise at the rooster’s crow to practice the sword,” comes from a general who trained at dawn, and still describes someone disciplined and early to work. A 1981 Rooster turns 45 in 2026.
Lunar New Year 1981 fell on Feb 5, 1981, so births before it are Metal Monkeys. The year ended on Jan 24, 1982.
Born in January or Early February 1981?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 1981 was on Thursday, Feb 5, 1981, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 4, 1981 | Metal Monkey | 庚申 |
| Feb 5, 1981 to Jan 24, 1982 | Metal Rooster | 辛酉 |
So someone born on Feb 4, 1981 is a Metal Monkey, and someone born on Feb 5, 1981 is a Metal Rooster. Dates are in China Standard Time.
What Is a Metal Rooster?
A Metal Rooster combines the Rooster with the element of the birth year. 1981 ends in 1, which gives Metal. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Metal Rooster years include 1921.
How Old Is a 1981 Rooster, and When Is the Next Rooster Year?
Someone born in 1981 turns 45 in 2026 and 46 in 2027. The last Rooster year was 1969, and the next is 1993. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Rooster years a 1981 Rooster lives through:
- 1981Metal RoosterBornThis page
- 1993 Chinese zodiacWater RoosterTurns 12
- 2005 Chinese zodiacWood RoosterTurns 24
- 2017 Chinese zodiacFire RoosterTurns 36
- 2029Earth RoosterTurns 48
1981 Rooster Compatibility: Best and Hardest Matches
Compatibility follows the animal, not the element. Tradition favors the signs in the Rooster's trine group and its Secret Friend, and is cautious about the opposite sign and the harm pair.
The 1981 Rooster in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Rooster to the next two years, and how old a 1981 Rooster will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Steady
Turns 45. No formal link to the Horse in the traditional rules.
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Steady
Turns 46. No formal link to the Goat in the traditional rules.
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 1981, and the other years of the decade.
- 1979 Chinese zodiacEarth GoatJan 28, 1979 to Feb 15, 1980
- 1980 Chinese zodiacMetal MonkeyFeb 16, 1980 to Feb 4, 1981
- 1981Metal RoosterFeb 5, 1981 to Jan 24, 1982
- 1982 Chinese zodiacWater DogJan 25, 1982 to Feb 12, 1983
- 1983 Chinese zodiacWater PigFeb 13, 1983 to Feb 1, 1984
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
1980 Chinese zodiac19811982 Chinese zodiac1983 Chinese zodiac1984 Chinese zodiac1985 Chinese zodiac1986 Chinese zodiac1987 Chinese zodiac1988 Chinese zodiac1989 Chinese zodiacAll Chinese zodiac years
1981 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 1981?
1981 is the Year of the Metal Rooster (also called the Chicken). The Chinese year ran from Feb 5, 1981 to Jan 24, 1982.
What element is the 1981 Chinese zodiac?
Metal. A year's element follows its last digit: 1 gives Metal. The Rooster's own fixed element is Metal, which is a different thing.
What Chinese zodiac is January 1981?
Lunar New Year 1981 fell on Thursday, Feb 5, 1981. Born from January 1 to Feb 4, 1981, you are a Metal Monkey. From Feb 5, 1981, you are a Metal Rooster.
How old is someone born in 1981?
In 2026 they turn 45, or are 44 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 46. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Rooster year after 1981?
1993, the Year of the Water Rooster, begins on Jan 23, 1993.