2022 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Tiger
壬寅 · 虎 Hǔ
2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger. The Chinese year ran from Feb 1, 2022 to Jan 21, 2023, so anyone born in that span is a Water Tiger. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Feb 1, 2022, and earlier births belong to the Metal Ox year.
- Tiger
- Water
- Yang
Born in 2022?
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.
2022 at a Glance
- Animal
- Tiger 虎 hǔ
- Element
- Water
- Yin or Yang
- Yang
- Year name
- 壬寅 · sound element 金箔金
- Begins
- Tuesday, Feb 1, 2022
- Ends
- Jan 21, 2023
- Age in 2026
- 3 or 4
- Next Tiger year
- 2034
2022 Water Tiger and the Winter Olympics
The Beijing Winter Olympics opened on February 4, 2022, a few days into this Tiger year, making Beijing the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games.
The 2022 year began on Feb 1, 2022 and ended on Jan 21, 2023, so the first three weeks of January 2023 also belong to it. 2022 Tigers turn 4 in 2026.
Born in January or Early February 2022?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 2022 was on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2022, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 31, 2022 | Metal Ox | 辛丑 |
| Feb 1, 2022 to Jan 21, 2023 | Water Tiger | 壬寅 |
So someone born on Feb 1, 2022 is a Metal Ox, and someone born on Feb 1, 2022 is a Water Tiger. Dates are in China Standard Time.
What Is a Water Tiger?
A Water Tiger combines the Tiger with the element of the birth year. 2022 ends in 2, which gives Water. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Water Tiger years include 1902 and 1962.
How Old Is a 2022 Tiger, and When Is the Next Tiger Year?
Someone born in 2022 turns 4 in 2026 and 5 in 2027. The last Tiger year was 2010, and the next is 2034. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Tiger years a 2022 Tiger lives through:
- 2022Water TigerBornThis page
- 2034Wood TigerTurns 12
2022 Tiger Compatibility: Best and Hardest Matches
Compatibility follows the animal, not the element. Tradition favors the signs in the Tiger's trine group and its Secret Friend, and is cautious about the opposite sign and the harm pair.
The 2022 Tiger in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Tiger to the next two years, and how old a 2022 Tiger will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Supported
Turns 4. Link to the Horse: Trine partner (三合).
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Steady
Turns 5. No formal link to the Goat in the traditional rules.
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 2022, and the other years of the decade.
- 2020 Chinese zodiacMetal RatJan 25, 2020 to Feb 11, 2021
- 2021 Chinese zodiacMetal OxFeb 12, 2021 to Jan 31, 2022
- 2022Water TigerFeb 1, 2022 to Jan 21, 2023
- 2023 Chinese zodiacWater RabbitJan 22, 2023 to Feb 9, 2024
- 2024 Chinese zodiacWood DragonFeb 10, 2024 to Jan 28, 2025
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
2020 Chinese zodiac2021 Chinese zodiac20222023 Chinese zodiac2024 Chinese zodiac2025 Chinese zodiac2026 Chinese zodiac2028 Chinese zodiacAll Chinese zodiac years
2022 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 2022?
2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger. The Chinese year ran from Feb 1, 2022 to Jan 21, 2023.
What element is the 2022 Chinese zodiac?
Water. A year's element follows its last digit: 2 gives Water. The Tiger's own fixed element is Wood, which is a different thing.
What Chinese zodiac is January 2022?
Lunar New Year 2022 fell on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2022. Born from January 1 to Jan 31, 2022, you are a Metal Ox. From Feb 1, 2022, you are a Water Tiger.
How old is someone born in 2022?
In 2026 they turn 4, or are 3 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 5. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Tiger year after 2022?
2034, the Year of the Wood Tiger, begins on Feb 19, 2034.