3 of 12 · Yin 寅

Chinese zodiac Tiger: year of the Tiger

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

Position
3 of 12
Earthly branch
Yin 寅
Polarity
Yang
Fixed element
Wood
Hours
3 – 5 am
Solar month
Feb 4 – Mar 5
Next year
2034

Chinese zodiac Tiger years

The year of the Tiger 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 Tiger, 1924–2043
YearElementDates
1926Fire TigerFeb 13, 1926 – Feb 1, 1927
1938Earth TigerJan 31, 1938 – Feb 18, 1939
1950Metal TigerFeb 17, 1950 – Feb 5, 1951
1962Water TigerFeb 5, 1962 – Jan 24, 1963
1974Wood TigerJan 23, 1974 – Feb 10, 1975
1986Fire TigerFeb 9, 1986 – Jan 28, 1987
1998Earth TigerJan 28, 1998 – Feb 15, 1999
2010Metal TigerFeb 14, 2010 – Feb 2, 2011
2022Water TigerFeb 1, 2022 – Jan 21, 2023
2034Wood TigerFeb 19, 2034 – Feb 7, 2035

Tiger personality

The Tiger is the king of the mountain in Chinese folklore and a protector against evil. Tiger years are associated with courage, leadership and a love of challenge, with impulsiveness as the downside.

Traditional traits: brave, confident, competitive, generous.

Leadership, the military, sport and entrepreneurship are traditionally linked with the Tiger.

Tiger compatibility

Element variations

Each Tiger year also carries one of the five elements, so there are five kinds of Tiger: Fire Tiger, Earth Tiger, Metal Tiger, Water Tiger, Wood Tiger. 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