Animal 2 of 12 · Earth · Yin
The Ox is the second animal of the Chinese zodiac — earth, yin. Its traditional traits are endurance, reliability and quiet stubbornness.
Character
The Ox is the animal of patient work. Tradition reads it as diligent, dependable, honest and enormously persistent — the person who finishes what everyone else started. Oxen are calm under pressure, methodical and practical, and they earn trust by doing exactly what they said they would, at the pace they said they would.
Their weakness is the other side of that steadiness. An Ox can be stubborn, conservative and slow to change course even when the evidence says it should, and it rarely explains its feelings. It prefers proven methods and quiet routines, and can come across as rigid or judgmental to faster signs.
Traits
Dependable Patient Stubborn Methodical ReservedEach animal also governs two hours of the day — the Ox holds 1–3 AM. Someone born in those hours is said to carry the Ox as an inner sign regardless of their year.
The Ox is loyal, protective and reliable rather than demonstrative. It shows love through effort — a fixed shelf, a paid bill, showing up — and expects the same seriousness back. It suits partners who value stability and do not mistake reserve for indifference.
Oxen thrive where results come from persistence: engineering, agriculture, manufacturing, medicine, finance and management. With money they accumulate slowly and dislike risk, which makes them better long-term savers than speculators.
A strong constitution is traditional for the Ox, along with a tendency to push through fatigue and ignore warning signs. Rest and variety are the usual advice.
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Primary source
“Chʻou and Wei correspond to earth likewise, Chʻou having as animal the ox, and Wei having the sheep.”
| Year | Element | New year began |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Fire Ox | February 11 |
| 1949 | Earth Ox | January 29 |
| 1961 | Metal Ox | February 15 |
| 1973 | Water Ox | February 3 |
| 1985 | Wood Ox | February 20 |
| 1997 | Fire Ox | February 7 |
| 2009 | Earth Ox | January 26 |
| 2021 | Metal Ox | February 12 |
Born in January or early February of one of these years? Check the new year date — you may belong to the previous animal.
The 10 Ox years in the table began as early as January 24 1925 and as late as February 20 1985 — a window of 27 days. Anyone born in 1985 before February 20 is still a Rat.
The Ox's own fixed element is Earth. The element of the year interacts with it differently each time, which is what separates the five versions — and why the cycle runs sixty years.
| Version | Years | Relation to Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Ox | 1925, 1985 | Controls it — most restrained |
| Fire Ox | 1937, 1997 | Feeds it — best supported |
| Earth Ox | 1949, 2009 | Doubled — strongest expression |
| Metal Ox | 1961, 2021 | Drains it — productive but costly |
| Water Ox | 1973, 2033 | Dominated by it — most forceful |
Calculated from the lunar calendar
The 9 Ox years from 1925 to 2021 last anywhere from 354 to 385 days, so the window for being born under the sign is wider in some years than in others. Three of them have a thirteenth, leap month.
| Year | From | To | Days | Lunar months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Jan 24, 1925 | Feb 12, 1926 | 385 | 13 — leap year |
| 1937 | Feb 11, 1937 | Jan 30, 1938 | 354 | 12 |
| 1949 | Jan 29, 1949 | Feb 16, 1950 | 384 | 13 — leap year |
| 1961 | Feb 15, 1961 | Feb 4, 1962 | 355 | 12 |
| 1973 | Feb 3, 1973 | Jan 22, 1974 | 354 | 12 |
| 1985 | Feb 20, 1985 | Feb 8, 1986 | 354 | 12 |
| 1997 | Feb 7, 1997 | Jan 27, 1998 | 355 | 12 |
| 2009 | Jan 26, 2009 | Feb 13, 2010 | 384 | 13 — leap year |
| 2021 | Feb 12, 2021 | Jan 31, 2022 | 354 | 12 |
Why some years get a leap month: the calendar adds one seven times every nineteen years to stay in step with the seasons. How the lunar year is built →
By tradition an Ox treads carefully in its own year rather than celebrating it. Why your own animal's year is considered unlucky.
| With | Relation | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Snake | Trine — natural allies | 90% |
| Rooster | Trine — natural allies | 90% |
| Rat | Six harmonies — secret friends | 88% |
| Ox | Same sign | 72% |
| Tiger | Neutral | 68% |
| Rabbit | Neutral | 68% |
| Dragon | Neutral | 68% |
| Monkey | Neutral | 68% |
| Pig | Neutral | 68% |
| Dog | Punishment | 58% |
| Horse | Six harms | 55% |
| Goat | Clash | 45% |
Statements of fact on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. How we choose and check sources: editorial policy.
AstroHot. “Chinese Zodiac Ox: Years, Traits and Compatibility.” Accessed October 29, 2026. https://astrohot.com/chinese-horoscope/sign/ox/
{{cite web |title=Chinese Zodiac Ox: Years, Traits and Compatibility |url=https://astrohot.com/chinese-horoscope/sign/ox/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-29}}
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