The Korean zodiac, 띠 (tti)

What is my Korean zodiac animal?

Find your birth year in the table. These are saju years, which run from one Ipchun to the next: if you were born before February 3, you take the previous year's animal, and if you were born between February 3 and 5, it depends on the exact time. The year-by-year cutoff table further down gives the exact Ipchun instant for every year from 1936 to 2031 in Seoul and New York time, and the free saju calculator works out your year pillar, and with it your animal, from your birth date and time.

In Korean you ask 무슨 띠예요? ("What's your 띠?") and answer with the animal plus 띠: 저는 양띠예요, "I'm a Sheep." The dictionary defines 띠 as naming the year someone was born by the animal of its branch (띠). Because the animals repeat every twelve years, the answer also places a person within a twelve-year age band, and Korean has a word for two people with the same animal, 띠동갑 (tti-donggap), usually twelve years apart (띠동갑).

Each animal has its own section below: a folk note from the National Folk Museum of Korea, the relations our chart engine draws for its branch, and the animal in all five colors. Every color-animal pair, such as 丁未 (Red Sheep), is also one of the 60 day pillars, so those names link to the day-pillar pages.

Rat: 쥐띠 (jwi-tti), 子

In the folk tale of how the order was set, the Rat stuck close to the Cow, which had trained harder than any other animal, and leapt off its back at the last moment to come in first. The museum describes the rat as a symbol of diligence, fortune, fertility and abundance (NFM, Rat).

In the chart, 子 (Zi) is branch 1 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Horse as a clash and the Ox as a combination, and puts it in the water harmony with the Monkey and Dragon; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Goat. The next Rat year, 壬子 (Black Rat), begins at Ipchun on Feb 4, 2032, 3:48 PM, Seoul time.

The Rat in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 甲子 Blue Rat (1984); 丙子 Red Rat (1936, 1996); 戊子 Yellow Rat (1948, 2008); 庚子 White Rat (1960, 2020); 壬子 Black Rat (1972).

Ox: 소띠 (so-tti), 丑

Korean farming households treated the cow almost as family: covered with straw mats in the cold, fitted with straw shoes for long trips. An old saying goes that the cow has twelve virtues without saying a word, and the museum describes people born in its year as persevering and diligent, with a streak of bull-headed stubbornness, 황소고집 (NFM, Cow). The museum's English page says Cow; Korean 소 covers cow and ox alike.

In the chart, 丑 (Chou) is branch 2 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Goat as a clash and the Rat as a combination, and puts it in the metal harmony with the Snake and Rooster; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Horse. The next Ox year, 癸丑 (Black Ox), begins at Ipchun on Feb 3, 2033, 9:41 PM, Seoul time.

The Ox in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 乙丑 Blue Ox (1985); 丁丑 Red Ox (1937, 1997); 己丑 Yellow Ox (1949, 2009); 辛丑 White Ox (1961, 2021); 癸丑 Black Ox (1973).

Tiger: 호랑이띠 (horangi-tti), 寅

The tiger was feared as a beast that brought catastrophe and revered as a sacred creature that drove evil spirits away, and it turns up playful on roof-end tiles and ceramics (NFM, Tiger). Horan, this site's fictional host, comes out of that double image: the tiger of the 까치호랑이 (kkachi-horangi) magpie-and-tiger folk painting (his story).

In the chart, 寅 (Yin) is branch 3 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Monkey as a clash and the Pig as a combination, and puts it in the fire harmony with the Horse and Dog; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Rooster. The next Tiger year, 甲寅 (Blue Tiger), begins at Ipchun on Feb 4, 2034, 3:41 AM, Seoul time.

The Tiger in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 丙寅 Red Tiger (1986); 戊寅 Yellow Tiger (1938, 1998); 庚寅 White Tiger (1950, 2010); 壬寅 Black Tiger (1962, 2022); 甲寅 Blue Tiger (1974).

Rabbit: 토끼띠 (tokki-tti), 卯

Korean folklore puts a rabbit on the moon, pounding the elixir of youth under a laurel tree. The museum also records two sayings about it: the rabbit and the monkey dislike each other (卯申怨嗔), and pigs, rabbits and sheep live in harmony (亥卯未三合) (NFM, Rabbit).

In the chart, 卯 (Mao) is branch 4 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Rooster as a clash and the Dog as a combination, and puts it in the wood harmony with the Pig and Goat; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Monkey. The next Rabbit year, 乙卯 (Blue Rabbit), begins at Ipchun on Feb 4, 2035, 9:31 AM, Seoul time.

The Rabbit in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 丁卯 Red Rabbit (1987); 己卯 Yellow Rabbit (1939, 1999); 辛卯 White Rabbit (1951, 2011); 癸卯 Black Rabbit (1963, 2023); 乙卯 Blue Rabbit (1975).

Dragon: 용띠 (yong-tti), 辰

The dragon was one of the Four Divinities (사령, 四靈), with the qilin (기린; the museum's English page says "giraffe"), the phoenix and the turtle, and Silla believed in a dragon that guarded the country (호국룡, 護國龍). The museum also records a saying of lasting enmity between Dragon and Pig, and calls Dragon, Rat and Monkey the "best threesome" (NFM, Dragon).

In the chart, 辰 (Chen) is branch 5 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Dog as a clash and the Rooster as a combination, and puts it in the water harmony with the Monkey and Rat; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Pig. The next Dragon year, 丙辰 (Red Dragon), begins at Ipchun on Feb 4, 2036, 3:19 PM, Seoul time.

The Dragon in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 戊辰 Yellow Dragon (1988); 庚辰 White Dragon (1940, 2000); 壬辰 Black Dragon (1952, 2012); 甲辰 Blue Dragon (1964, 2024); 丙辰 Red Dragon (1976).

Snake: 뱀띠 (baem-tti), 巳

In the folk telling a snake grows into a great serpent, then into a hornless dragon, the 이무기 (imugi). The snake was also revered as an earth god that guarded tombs and as a household god of fertility, abundance and fortune (NFM, Snake).

In the chart, 巳 (Si) is branch 6 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Pig as a clash and the Monkey as a combination, and puts it in the metal harmony with the Rooster and Ox; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Dog. The next Snake year, 丁巳 (Red Snake), begins at Ipchun on Feb 3, 2037, 9:11 PM, Seoul time.

The Snake in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 己巳 Yellow Snake (1989); 辛巳 White Snake (1941, 2001); 癸巳 Black Snake (1953, 2013); 乙巳 Blue Snake (1965, 2025); 丁巳 Red Snake (1977).

Horse: 말띠 (mal-tti), 午

In Gaya, Silla and Goguryeo tombs, the museum explains, the horse was the medium that carried the dead between this world and the otherworld. Horses also run through Korean games and rites, such as 격구 (gyeokgu), a traditional form of polo (NFM, Horse).

In the chart, 午 (Wu) is branch 7 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Rat as a clash and the Goat as a combination, and puts it in the fire harmony with the Tiger and Dog; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Ox. The next Horse year, 戊午 (Yellow Horse), begins at Ipchun on Feb 4, 2038, 3:03 AM, Seoul time.

The Horse in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 庚午 White Horse (1990); 壬午 Black Horse (1942, 2002); 甲午 Blue Horse (1954, 2014); 丙午 Red Horse (1966, 2026); 戊午 Yellow Horse (1978).

Goat (Sheep): 양띠 (yang-tti), 未

Korean says 양 (yang), a sheep, and the museum's page is titled Sheep. It links the character 羊 with 美 (beautiful), 祥 (auspicious) and 善 (good), and describes people born in its year as warm and mild, rarely drawn into disputes (NFM, Sheep). English-language guides often say Goat; the Chinese character 羊 covers both animals.

In the chart, 未 (Wei) is branch 8 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Ox as a clash and the Horse as a combination, and puts it in the wood harmony with the Pig and Rabbit; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Rat. The next Goat year, 丁未 (Red Sheep), begins at Ipchun on Feb 4, 2027, 10:46 AM, Seoul time.

The Goat in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 辛未 White Sheep (1991); 癸未 Black Sheep (1943, 2003); 乙未 Blue Sheep (1955, 2015); 丁未 Red Sheep (1967, 2027); 己未 Yellow Sheep (1979).

Monkey: 원숭이띠 (wonsungi-tti), 申

The old word 잔나비 (jannabi), which the museum says Koreans still use for the monkey, once carried a negative undertone: the animal counted as unlucky, and people avoided talking about monkeys in the morning. The museum also records the belief that people born in a Monkey year are naturally good with numbers (NFM, Monkey).

In the chart, 申 (Shen) is branch 9 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Tiger as a clash and the Snake as a combination, and puts it in the water harmony with the Rat and Dragon; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Rabbit. The next Monkey year, 戊申 (Yellow Monkey), begins at Ipchun on Feb 4, 2028, 4:31 PM, Seoul time.

The Monkey in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 壬申 Black Monkey (1992); 甲申 Blue Monkey (1944, 2004); 丙申 Red Monkey (1956, 2016); 戊申 Yellow Monkey (1968, 2028); 庚申 White Monkey (1980).

Rooster: 닭띠 (dak-tti), 酉

When the rooster crowed at daybreak, the belief went, beasts went back to the mountains and evil spirits hid, and the rooster was considered an auspicious bird that announced the coming of light (NFM, Rooster).

In the chart, 酉 (You) is branch 10 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Rabbit as a clash and the Dragon as a combination, and puts it in the metal harmony with the Snake and Ox; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Tiger. The next Rooster year, 己酉 (Yellow Rooster), begins at Ipchun on Feb 3, 2029, 10:20 PM, Seoul time.

The Rooster in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 癸酉 Black Rooster (1993); 乙酉 Blue Rooster (1945, 2005); 丁酉 Red Rooster (1957, 2017); 己酉 Yellow Rooster (1969, 2029); 辛酉 White Rooster (1981).

Dog: 개띠 (gae-tti), 戌

The dog was believed to drive off plagues, goblins and ghosts and to guard people against them, and in Yi Am's paintings 화조구자도 (Flowers, Birds and Puppies) and 모견도 (Mother Dog) dogs are the main subject (NFM, Dog).

In the chart, 戌 (Xu) is branch 11 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Dragon as a clash and the Rabbit as a combination, and puts it in the fire harmony with the Tiger and Horse; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Snake. The next Dog year, 庚戌 (White Dog), begins at Ipchun on Feb 4, 2030, 4:08 AM, Seoul time.

The Dog in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 甲戌 Blue Dog (1994); 丙戌 Red Dog (1946, 2006); 戊戌 Yellow Dog (1958, 2018); 庚戌 White Dog (1970, 2030); 壬戌 Black Dog (1982).

Pig: 돼지띠 (dwaeji-tti), 亥

A dream about a pig counts as an excellent dream in Korea, and the pig stood for the god of fortune; merchants would open for business on the first Pig day (상해일, 上亥日) of the new year (NFM, Pig). Korean says 돼지, the farm pig, while in Japan the animal of 亥 is the wild boar, いのしし (Kotobank, 亥).

In the chart, 亥 (Hai) is branch 12 of 12. Our engine pairs it with the Snake as a clash and the Tiger as a combination, and puts it in the wood harmony with the Rabbit and Goat; folklore adds a wonjin partner, the Dragon. The next Pig year, 辛亥 (White Pig), begins at Ipchun on Feb 4, 2031, 9:58 AM, Seoul time.

The Pig in each of the five colors, with the years each fell on from 1936 to 2031: 乙亥 Blue Pig (1995); 丁亥 Red Pig (1947, 2007); 己亥 Yellow Pig (1959, 2019); 辛亥 White Pig (1971, 2031); 癸亥 Black Pig (1983).

Korean zodiac colors: why 2027 is the Red Sheep

Each year's name has two parts, a stem and a branch. The branch gives the animal; the stem gives an element, and each element has a traditional color: wood blue, fire red, earth yellow, metal white, water black (색, E0027476). Korean usage names the year by color and animal: 청룡, the Blue Dragon, for 2024 (Korea.net), and the Red Horse for 2026 (VISITKOREA).

A shortcut: the last digit of the year gives the stem, and so the color: 0 or 1, white; 2 or 3, black; 4 or 5, blue; 6 or 7, red; 8 or 9, yellow. That makes 2027, 丁未, the Red Sheep, 붉은 양; the Ipchun rule still applies to January and early February birthdays. The "black monkey" that turns up in searches about Korean astrology is 壬申, a water stem on the Monkey branch: 1932, 1992 and 2052.

Two stems share each color, one yang and one yin, and each animal takes only one of them, so every color-animal name comes around once in 60 years, not every 12. The same return gives the 60th birthday its Korean name, 환갑 (hwangap, 還甲): the dictionary explains it as coming back to the 甲 of 육십갑자, the sixty-pair cycle, in the year a person turns sixty (환갑).

How is the Korean zodiac different from the Chinese zodiac?

The core is shared: ten stems, twelve branches, the sixty-year cycle and the same twelve animals in the same order. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture's entry on saju lists the same stems and branches and notes that the branches also stand for the animals, 띠 (사주, E0025957). The differences, and the Korean usage worth knowing, come down to these:

• The year boundary. Saju counts the year from Ipchun, and the encyclopedia says so directly: in the fortune-telling arts the new year begins at 입춘. Chinese BaZi uses the same boundary (立春, Lichun). The split is with the popular zodiac charts, many of which switch animals at Lunar New Year, so when someone tells you their animal, it's worth asking which rule they used. The table below shows both dates for every year.
• The New Year date itself. Korea's Seollal falls on Sun, Feb 7, 2027, a day after China's Lunar New Year on Sat, Feb 6, 2027 (KASA, KASI). Each calendar starts the month on the date of the new moon in its own time zone, and this new moon comes at 3:56 PM UTC on Feb 6: 11:56 PM on Feb 6 in Beijing, but 12:56 AM on Feb 7 in Seoul (USNO).
• Sheep, not goat. Korean says 양 (sheep) for 未; English-language guides to the Chinese zodiac often say Goat.
• Pig, not boar. Korean says 돼지 (pig) for 亥, as Chinese does; Japanese says いのしし, the wild boar (Kotobank).
• Color names. Korean readily calls a year by color and animal: 청룡 (Blue Dragon), 붉은 말 (Red Horse), 붉은 양 (Red Sheep). English speakers meet the same idea as "Fire Horse" or "Water Monkey", named by element.
• Age talk. Korean has a set question for it, 무슨 띠예요?, whose answer places someone in a twelve-year age band, and a word, 띠동갑, for two people with the same animal, usually twelve years apart.
• Folk layers. Korean folk practice hangs two customs on the animals, samjae (a three-year cycle) and wonjin (six pairs said to grate on each other), both described below as folklore.
• Compatibility custom. The encyclopedia describes 궁합 (gunghap), comparing two people's saju before marriage, and distinguishes an outer compatibility (겉궁합) read from the twelve branches from an inner one (속궁합) read from the five elements (궁합, E0006817).

Samjae and wonjin: two Korean folk layers (folklore, not forecasts)

Samjae (삼재, "three calamities") is a folk cycle: by the encyclopedia's rule, each group of three birth animals has three samjae years in a row every twelve years, called entering, lying (the middle year) and leaving (들삼재, 누울삼재, 날삼재) (삼재, E0026787). The groups are the same trios as the harmony frames: Monkey, Rat and Dragon; Snake, Rooster and Ox; Tiger, Horse and Dog; Pig, Rabbit and Goat. The folk responses the encyclopedia records include a hawk with three heads and one body, painted in red and pasted above the door of a room. We list the years as trivia; nothing on this site sells a remedy.

Wonjin (원진) is a list of six pairs of animals said to shy away from each other in gunghap, the marriage-compatibility custom. The Standard Korean Language Dictionary defines 원진살 as a passing mood in which a couple dislikes each other without cause (원진살), and the institute's Urimalsaem dictionary lists the pairs (Urimalsaem): Rat–Goat, Ox–Horse, Tiger–Rooster, Rabbit–Monkey, Dragon–Pig, Snake–Dog. The National Folk Museum's pages record two of them in their own words, rabbit–monkey and dragon–pig (NFM, Rabbit, NFM, Dragon).

Your animal is one of eight characters

The zodiac animal is the branch of your year pillar. A full saju chart has four pillars, year, month, day and hour, and each has two characters, eight in all. The encyclopedia's saju entry reads the chart around the top character of the day pillar, the day stem, which it calls 기신 (己身), "oneself" (사주, E0025957). In English that character is usually called the Day Master.

So two people with the same animal can have very different charts. The free chart works out your pillars from your birth date (add the time for the hour pillar) and shows your Day Master, the 60 day pillars each have a page of their own, and how we calculate sets out the rules behind every chart.

About this page

Written with AI (Claude) from the sources listed and our calculation engine. Horan and Kachi are fictional characters, and nothing here predicts events. The rules behind every chart: how we calculate.