6 of 12 · Si 巳

Chinese zodiac Snake: year of the Snake

Chinese zodiac Snake: years, element, personality traits and compatibility for people born in the year of the Snake.

Position
6 of 12
Earthly branch
Si 巳
Polarity
Yin
Fixed element
Fire
Hours
9 – 11 am
Solar month
May 6 – Jun 5
Next year
2037

Chinese zodiac Snake years

The year of the Snake returns every 12 years. It begins at Lunar New Year, so people born in January or early February belong to the previous animal if they were born before the new year.

Years of the Snake, 1924–2043
YearElementDates
1929Earth SnakeFeb 10, 1929 – Jan 29, 1930
1941Metal SnakeJan 27, 1941 – Feb 14, 1942
1953Water SnakeFeb 14, 1953 – Feb 2, 1954
1965Wood SnakeFeb 2, 1965 – Jan 20, 1966
1977Fire SnakeFeb 18, 1977 – Feb 6, 1978
1989Earth SnakeFeb 6, 1989 – Jan 26, 1990
2001Metal SnakeJan 24, 2001 – Feb 11, 2002
2013Water SnakeFeb 10, 2013 – Jan 30, 2014
2025Wood SnakeJan 29, 2025 – Feb 16, 2026
2037Fire SnakeFeb 15, 2037 – Feb 3, 2038

Snake personality

The Snake is sometimes called the “little dragon”. People born in Snake years are traditionally described as thoughtful, private and perceptive, with a taste for philosophy and fine things.

Traditional traits: wise, intuitive, discreet, determined.

Research, analysis, finance, philosophy and counselling are associated with the Snake.

Snake compatibility

Element variations

Each Snake year also carries one of the five elements, so there are five kinds of Snake: Earth Snake, Metal Snake, Water Snake, Wood Snake, Fire Snake. The element is set by the last digit of the year.

Other animals

Chinese zodiac calculator · The 2026 Chinese zodiac year

Updated · How we write and check this guide