Most Americans know all about the Western zodiac signs, what your sign is, and if it's compatible with your partner's, but do you know what your Chinese zodiac sign says about your personality? Once you find out your Chinese zodiac sign (which is exactly what you're about to do), combining these two schools of thought can deepen your understanding of yourself and can be used as a tool for personal growth, or just a fun way to get attention at parties. I mean everyone loves hearing about themselves, so it's a real shortcut to engage an audience.

While Western astrology uses the monthly calendar to divide the signs, the Chinese zodiac uses years and animals to distinguish the characteristics between differing signs, meaning you share these characteristics with everyone born in the same year as you. Each animal and its attributes are connected to the year that someone is born in, but they are all classified on a wheel, in much the same way that western zodiac signs are. There are also 12 different Chinese zodiac animals, much like there are 12 Western zodiac signs. This year (2018) is the year of the dog, meaning it will be another 12 years before we experience another one; so we'll start there, and go around the wheel clockwise to clarify the order of everything.

Dog

Birth Years: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, etc.

The main qualities of those born in the year of the dog are that they are loyal, sincere, courageous, and full of life. They are known for their ability to carry out their responsibilities, and for being well-liked. They're very sensitive, and they can be stubborn. They wear their hearts on their sleeve, always.

Pig

Birth Years: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, etc.

Those born in the year of the pig are naturally good-natured and friendly. This sign is known for being the type who wouldn't ever want to cause any harm to others, but who might accidentally cause chaos in the lives of people around them (especially at work) due to laziness. That says, the pig is a sign of affluence, and their laid back approach to life brings abundance.

Rat

Birth Years: 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, etc.

The rat is the first sign in the Chinese zodiac wheel. These animals have wit, spirit, resourcefulness, and a vitality that is unique to them. They are incredibly hard workers, and have a massive amount of energy. They're also known for being able to adapt to any situation (just look at the rats in any major city) and are also known for having good intuition.

Ox

Birth Years: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, etc.

This sign reminds me of a Taurus, because they're the second sign on the wheel and they're gigantic animals who move slowly but persistently toward a goal. They can be late to start, but they get the job done. They're known for being well grounded, conscientious, with a strong moral and spiritual backbone.

Tiger

Year of birth: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, etc.

Tigers are pretty much exactly what they sound like; royal in their nature, powerful, with a strong prescence and an ability to turn every head in the room. This leads to a natural weakness to be arrogant, with a short temper and an impulsive side that can get them into trouble.

Rabbit

Year of birth: 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, etc.

People born in the year of the rabbit are gentle and approachable, kind and elegant. They have a sensitivity that they can be considered one of their greatest strengths, because they use it to inform their intuition. The problem is it can make them overly-romantic and somewhat delusional when it comes to relationships.

Dragon

Year of birth: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, etc.

Year of the dragon people are known for being very popular, as the dragon is held in high regard in chinese culture. These people are represented by an animal that denotes authority, dignity, power, and presitige. The personality of someone born in a dragon year is known for being confident, witty, and an excellent talker. They can be somewhat dominant and extremely fiery, making them intolerant of those who are different from them.

Snake

Year of birth: 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, etc.

Those born in the year of the snake are known for being intelligent and secretive, with a wisdom that they keep hidden. They can be manipulative in some of the same ways that a scorpio can be; gathering information on those around them to eventually use against them.

Horse

Year of birth: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, etc.

The people born in the year of the horse make a lifelong effort to improve upon themselves no matter the difficulty or the cost. They are dedicated to personal growth in order to serve the growth of the collective. They are free spirits with an independent heart and a strong work ethic.

Sheep

Year of birth: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, etc.

Those born in the year of the sheep are excellent at working with others. They are gentle, kind and considerate of others feelings, making them a bit more empathetic than any other sign in the Chinese zodiac. They persist in their work with dedication but since they care so much about everyone else they can be indecisive and timid in their actions.

Monkey

Year of birth: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, etc.

Those born in the year of the monkey are trailblazing innovators, unafraid of trying new things and doing what's never been done. They have an intelligence that expresses itself in quick witted reactions to those around them. On the negative side, they can be very jealous, suscpicious of others, and cunning in the ways they retaliate.

Rooster

Year of birth: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, etc.

Roosters are the Chinese zodiac sign known for being punctual, effecient, and on-top-of-it-all. They are the most detail-oriented sign, and efficiency is their number one priority. Much like the sign of Virgo, they can be critical, impatient with others, and narrow-minded in their approach to things, but they are always great in a crisis situation that needs an immediate and simple solution.