Year of the Ox (Cow)
牛 Niú
The Ox is the second animal of the Chinese zodiac and the sign of diligence. In Chinese tradition, people born in an Ox year are seen as dependable, patient and hardworking, steady in a crisis and slow to change their minds. English sites also call it the Cow.
- dependable
- patient
- hardworking
- steady
- honest
- stubborn
Are You a Ox?
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.
Ox at a Glance
- Order
- 2nd of 12
- Chinese
- 牛 niú, branch 丑 chǒu
- Yin or Yang
- Yin
- Own element
- Earth
- Best matches
- Snake, Rooster, Rat
- Clashes with
- Goat
- Recent years
- 1997, 2009, 2021
- Next Ox year
- 2033, from Jan 31, 2033
Ox Zodiac Years
An Ox year comes every 12 years and begins on Lunar New Year, between January 21 and February 20. Born in January or early February? Compare your birthday with the start date. If it came first, you belong to the sign before: the Rat.
- 1901Metal OxFeb 19, 1901 to Feb 7, 1902
- 1913Water OxFeb 6, 1913 to Jan 25, 1914
- 1925Wood OxJan 24, 1925 to Feb 12, 1926
- 1937Fire OxFeb 11, 1937 to Jan 30, 1938
- 1949 Chinese zodiacEarth OxJan 29, 1949 to Feb 16, 1950
- 1961 Chinese zodiacMetal OxFeb 15, 1961 to Feb 4, 1962
- 1973 Chinese zodiacWater OxFeb 3, 1973 to Jan 22, 1974
- 1985 Chinese zodiacWood OxFeb 20, 1985 to Feb 8, 1986
- 1997 Chinese zodiacFire OxFeb 7, 1997 to Jan 27, 1998
- 2009 Chinese zodiacEarth OxJan 26, 2009 to Feb 13, 2010
- 2021 Chinese zodiacMetal OxFeb 12, 2021 to Jan 31, 2022
- 2033Water OxJan 31, 2033 to Feb 18, 2034Next
Ox Zodiac Personality and Traits
In Chinese tradition the Ox is dependable, patient and hardworking. Oxen do not hurry and do not quit, and people lean on them in a crisis. The same steadiness can turn into stubbornness and a dislike of change.
Strengths
- Dependability. Keeps its word and finishes what it starts.
- Patience. Works steadily toward a goal.
- Honesty. Plain-spoken and fair.
- Strength. Holds steady under pressure.
- Loyalty. Stays with people through hard times.
Weaknesses
- Stubbornness. Hard to talk out of a decision.
- Resistance to change. Prefers the familiar way.
- Slow to forgive. Remembers a wrong for a long time.
- Reserve. Keeps feelings to itself.
- Rigidity. Little patience for improvising.
The Ox Man and the Ox Woman
These are sketches from tradition, not rules.
The Ox Man
The Ox man is pictured as steady, practical and hardworking. He is a man of few words who is better at doing than at talking about it. His lesson is to say what he feels before it builds up.
The Ox Woman
The Ox woman is described as reliable, capable and down to earth. She works hard for her family and holds to her principles. She does best with a partner who values loyalty and does not demand constant change.
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water Oxen
The last digit of your birth year sets your element, which is different from the Ox’s own element (always Earth). Born in January or early February? If your birthday came before Lunar New Year, use the year before. The cycle repeats every 60 years.
Wood Ox
Years ending in 4 or 51925, 1985
Wood loosens the Ox up. Said to be more flexible and more social than other Oxen, and more open to new ideas.
Fire Ox
Years ending in 6 or 71937, 1997
Fire adds spark. The Fire Ox is described as more outspoken and more passionate, with a temper that flares when pushed.
Earth Ox
Years ending in 8 or 91949, 2009
Earth is the Ox’s own element. The Earth Ox is pictured as the steadiest of the five: practical, patient and very hard to move.
Metal Ox
Years ending in 0 or 11901, 1961, 2021
Metal sharpens the Ox. Determined and disciplined, the Metal Ox is said to be the most exacting of the five, with firm principles.
Water Ox
Years ending in 2 or 31913, 1973, 2033
Water softens the Ox. Perceptive and adaptable, the Water Ox is described as a better listener and less rigid than other Oxen.
Ox Compatibility: Best and Worst Matches
Tradition gives the Ox three best matches: the Snake and Rooster, its trine group, and the Rat, its Secret Friend. The hardest are the Goat, directly opposite on the zodiac wheel, and the Horse, a harm pair. These come from fixed rules, not opinion.
Best Matches
- SnakeSame trine group 三合Ox and Snake compatibility
- RoosterSame trine group 三合
- RatSecret Friend 六合Rat and Ox compatibility
Hardest Matches
- GoatOpposite sign (clash) 六冲Ox and Goat compatibility
- HorseHarm pair 六害Ox and Horse compatibility
Snake and Rooster
Same trine group. The Snake’s insight and the Rooster’s precision suit the Ox’s patient, methodical style.
Rat
The Ox’s Secret Friend, a traditional natural ally. The Rat’s quick mind and the Ox’s steadiness balance each other well.
Goat
Opposite the Ox on the wheel, a clash. The Goat’s gentle, changeable style can feel vague to the Ox, who wants a clear plan.
Horse
A harm pair. The free-running Horse finds the Ox’s routines confining, and the Ox finds the Horse unreliable.
The Ox in 2026 and 2027
For the full forecast, see the Ox horoscope for 2027 and the 2027 Year of the Goat.
2026, the Fire Horse Year
The Horse forms a harm pair with the Ox, so tradition reads 2026 as a year for care. Patience with others and a steady routine help most.
2027, the Fire Goat Year
The Goat is the Ox’s clash sign, and tradition reads a clash year as one to move carefully in. It favors slow, careful progress over sudden change.
The Ox in Chinese Culture: Meaning and Symbols
The Ox took second place in the Great Race, the legend that set the order of the 12 animals. In a popular version the Ox was ahead, carrying the Rat on its back, until the Rat jumped off near the bank and finished first.
The Farmer’s Partner
For thousands of years the ox pulled the plow in China, and it became a symbol of hard work and farming. It is a classic image of someone who works hard without complaint.
The Spring Ox
An old custom at the start of spring, around February 4, featured a clay figure of an ox. Officials would strike it as a sign that the plowing season was beginning (打春牛, dǎ chūnniú).
The Willing Ox
The writer Lu Xun wrote a famous line praising those who “bow their heads and willingly serve as an ox for the children” (俯首甘为孺子牛). The phrase is still used to describe selfless hard work.
Early Morning and the Twelfth Month
The Ox’s earthly branch, 丑 (chǒu), marks the twelfth month of the traditional solar calendar, which starts around January 5, and the hours from 1 to 3 in the morning.
Ox Career, Money and Health
Traditional advice for the Ox is the same in every area: keep the steady pace, and leave a little room for change.
Career
Oxen do best in work that rewards patience and reliability: farming, construction, engineering, finance, management and the trades. Constant reorganization is harder.
Money
Tradition credits the Ox with careful saving and a long view. A useful habit is to review the plan once a year, so steadiness does not turn into missing new chances.
Health
Oxen are described as robust but prone to push through tiredness. Tradition links the Ox’s Earth element with the stomach and with worry. That is cultural symbolism, not medical advice. Regular meals and a change of scene help most.
Ox Zodiac FAQ
What years are the Year of the Ox?
Ox years include 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 and 2033. The next one starts on Jan 31, 2033. Each Ox year begins on Lunar New Year, so check the exact dates if you were born in January or February.
I was born on February 5, 2021. Am I an Ox?
No. Lunar New Year 2021 fell on February 12, so births before that date belong to the Rat year that began in 2020. From February 12, 2021 on, you are an Ox.
Is the Ox the same as the Cow?
Yes. The Chinese character 牛 (niú) covers cattle in general, including oxen and cows, so Ox, Cow and Buffalo are used for the same sign. Most English sites say Ox, and the zodiac animal is not tied to one sex.
What is the Ox's enemy sign?
The Goat. It sits opposite the Ox on the zodiac wheel, a pairing tradition calls a clash. The Horse is the other hard match, a harm pair. Both point to friction in style, not a ban on friendship or marriage.
Who should an Ox marry?
Tradition favors the Rat, Snake and Rooster. The Snake and Rooster share the Ox's trine group, and the Rat is its Secret Friend. The Goat and Horse are harder. Real couples depend more on the two people than on their signs.
Is 2026 a good year for the Ox?
Tradition reads it as a year for care. The Horse forms a harm pair with the Ox, so patience with others and a steady routine help most. It favors slow, careful progress.