Today is Nov 1, 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse

Chinese Year Animals
土

Earth Element in the Chinese Zodiac

土 tǔ · Stability, patience and care

Earth stands for the center and for the turn between seasons. People of the Earth element are described as steady, practical and caring, and they are said to be slow to change course and prone to carrying other people's worries. A year carries the Earth element when it ends in 8 or 9, so the latest Earth years were 2019, 2028 and 2029.

  • Earth
  • The turn of the seasons
  • Center

Earth at a Glance

Chinese
土 tǔ
Years end in
8 or 9
Color
Yellow
Direction
Center
Season
The turn of the seasons
Heavenly stems
戊 Wù, 己 Jǐ
Feeds
Metal
Controls
Water

The Twelve Earth Signs

Each of the 12 animals has a Earth year. Pick one for its personality, years and Lunar New Year dates.

Earth Years, 1900 to 2035

Every year ending in 8 or 9, with its animal. The Chinese year begins on Lunar New Year, so the year runs from the date shown into the next calendar year.

  1. 1908Earth MonkeyFrom Feb 2, 1908
  2. 1909Earth RoosterFrom Jan 22, 1909
  3. 1918Earth HorseFrom Feb 11, 1918
  4. 1919Earth GoatFrom Feb 1, 1919
  5. 1928Earth DragonFrom Jan 23, 1928
  6. 1929Earth SnakeFrom Feb 10, 1929
  7. 1938Earth TigerFrom Jan 31, 1938
  8. 1939Earth RabbitFrom Feb 19, 1939
  9. 1948 Chinese zodiacEarth RatFrom Feb 10, 1948
  10. 1949 Chinese zodiacEarth OxFrom Jan 29, 1949
  11. 1958 Chinese zodiacEarth DogFrom Feb 18, 1958
  12. 1959 Chinese zodiacEarth PigFrom Feb 8, 1959
  13. 1968 Chinese zodiacEarth MonkeyFrom Jan 30, 1968
  14. 1969 Chinese zodiacEarth RoosterFrom Feb 17, 1969
  15. 1978 Chinese zodiacEarth HorseFrom Feb 7, 1978
  16. 1979 Chinese zodiacEarth GoatFrom Jan 28, 1979
  17. 1988 Chinese zodiacEarth DragonFrom Feb 17, 1988
  18. 1989 Chinese zodiacEarth SnakeFrom Feb 6, 1989
  19. 1998 Chinese zodiacEarth TigerFrom Jan 28, 1998
  20. 1999 Chinese zodiacEarth RabbitFrom Feb 16, 1999
  21. 2008 Chinese zodiacEarth RatFrom Feb 7, 2008
  22. 2009 Chinese zodiacEarth OxFrom Jan 26, 2009
  23. 2018 Chinese zodiacEarth DogFrom Feb 16, 2018
  24. 2019 Chinese zodiacEarth PigFrom Feb 5, 2019
  25. 2028 Chinese zodiacEarth MonkeyFrom Jan 26, 2028
  26. 2029Earth RoosterFrom Feb 13, 2029

Every Chinese zodiac year with its dates

Earth Years and Earth Animals Are Not the Same

Two different things share the name. The year element follows the last digit of the birth year, so any animal can be a Earth animal: a Earth Tiger, a Earth Dragon, a Earth Pig. The animal's own element never changes. the Ox, the Dragon, the Goat and the Dog are always Earth, whatever year they are born.

When the two match, as in the Earth Ox and the Earth Dragon and the Earth Goat and the Earth Dog, tradition says the Earth nature is doubled.

Traits of the Earth Element

Strengths

  • Reliable
  • Patient
  • Practical
  • Nurturing

Challenges

  • Stubborn
  • Prone to worry
  • Slow to change

These are traditional descriptions of the element, and every sign adds its own character.

How Earth Relates to the Other Elements

  • Fire feeds EarthIn the generating cycle, Fire supports Earth.
  • Earth feeds MetalEarth in turn supports Metal.
  • Earth controls WaterIn the controlling cycle, Earth holds Water in check.
  • Wood controls EarthWood is the element that keeps Earth in balance.

The Five Elements

Earth Element FAQ

What years are Earth years in the Chinese zodiac?

Years that end in 8 or 9. Recent Earth years include 2018, 2019, 2028 and 2029. Each Chinese year begins on Lunar New Year, so a birth in January or early February may belong to the year before.

What animals are Earth signs?

Every animal has Earth years. They are the Earth Rat, Earth Ox, Earth Tiger and so on through the Earth Pig, and each comes round every 60 years. The animals whose own, fixed element is Earth are the Ox, Dragon, Goat and Dog.

What is the difference between a Earth year and a Earth animal?

The element of a year follows its last digit, so any animal can be a Earth animal in the right year. The animal's own element never changes: the Ox, the Dragon, the Goat and the Dog are always Earth. They are two separate things.

What does Earth mean in Chinese astrology?

Earth stands for the center and for the turn between seasons. Its color is yellow, its direction is center and its season is the turn of the seasons.

What element feeds and controls Earth?

Fire feeds Earth, and Earth feeds Metal. Wood controls Earth, and Earth controls Water.