Five elementsThe Yin or Yang is broken down into Five Elements ( Wood , Fire , Earth , Metal , and Water , ) on top of the cycle of animals . These are modifiers and affect the characteristics of each of the 12 animal signs . Thus , each of the 12 animals are governed by an element plus a Yin Yang Direction . Although it is usually translated as ' element ' the Chinese word xing literally means something like ' changing states of being ', ' permutations ' or ' metamorphoses of being '. [ 1 ] In fact Sinologists cannot agree on one single translation . The Chinese conception of ' element ' is therefore quite different to the Western one . The Western elements were seen as the basic building blocks of matter . The Chinese ' elements ', by contrast , were seen as ever changing and moving forces or energies - one translation of xing is simply ' the five changes '. The balance of yin and yang and the five elements in a person ' s make - up has a major bearing on what is beneficial and effective for them in terms of feng shui , the Chinese form of geomancy . This is because each element is linked to a particular direction and season , and their different kinds of q ? or life force . [ edit ] 木 WoodThe East Spring The Planet Jupiter The Color Green Liver and gallbladder Generous , Warm , Persuasive , Co - operative , Seeks to Expand and Grow Idealistic , Ethical , Enthusiastic , Seeks to Explore Wood ' s link with springtime means that it ' Governs ' the spring signs of Tiger , Rabbit , Dragon [ edit ] 火 FireThe South Summer The Planet Mars The Color Red Circulatory system & Heart Dynamic , Energetic , Passionate , Enterprising , Adventurous , Restless Competitive , Leadership Skills , Strong , Single - minded , Loves a good laugh Fire ' s link with summertime means that it ' Governs ' the summer signs of Snake , Horse and Sheep [ edit ] 土 EarthCenter Three Enclosures , Change of seasons The Planet Saturn The Color Yellow Digestive system , Spleen and stomach Patient , Prudent , Stable , Reliable , Hard - working , Ambitious , Stubborn , and very energetic Disciplined , Logical , Governed by Service and Duty to Others ' Governs ' Dragon , Rat , and Ox . It is the central balance of the elements and can lend qualities to all 12 animals as well . [ edit ] 金 MetalThe West Autumn The Planet Venus The Color White Respiratory system & Lungs Determined , Self - reliant , Unyielding , Strong , Persistent , Forceful Reserved , Needs Personal Space , Sophisticated , Seeks pleasure Metal ' s link with autumn time means that it ' Governs ' the autumn signs of Monkey , Rooster , Dog [ edit ] 水 WaterThe North Winter The Planet Mercury The Color Blue Skeletal / Excretory System & Lungs Diplomatic , Charming , Intuitive , Compassionate , Sensitive , Creative Flexible , Compliant , Good at Communication , Intellectual Water ' s link with wintertime means that it ' Governs ' the winter signs of Pig , Rat , Ox [ edit ] The 12 animalsIn Chinese astrology each individual personality is associated with an animal sign that represents it . It is a common misconception that there are only the singular animals assigned by year . Many western descriptions of Chinese astrology descriptions draw solely on this system . In fact , there are also animal signs assigned by month and hours of the day . The animal signs assigned by year represent what others perceive you as being or how you present yourself . The full 60 year cycle is a combination of the 12 animals with each of five possible elements , which distinctively vary the base animal ' s personality ( 12 x 5 = 60 ) . The inner animal speaks directly to what motivates a person and is assigned by the month of birth . Since this dictates your love life and inner persona it is critical to a proper understanding of your compatibility with other signs . The secret animal is assigned by the hour of birth and so it is important to know the exact time of birth to determine it correctly . It is your own true sign which your personality is based on . It is important to compensate for daylight saving time or any clock adjustment performed by your country in determining this sign , as it is mapped according to the sun ' s location and not the local time . To sum it up , while a person might appear to be a dragon they might actually be a snake internally and an ox secretively . Combined with the five elements , this makes for 8 640 possible combinations ( five elements , 12 animals , 12 months , 12 times of day ) that a person might be . These are all are critical for the proper use of Chinese astrology . Many Western displays of the Chinese zodiac omit these , as well as the elements , for easier consumption and understanding . [ edit ] The 12 zodiac animalsThe following are the twelve zodiac signs in order . The first symbol is simply the name of the animal written in Chinese , while the second symbol is the character specifically used in astrology to denote the animal sign . 鼠 子 Rat 牛 丑 Ox 虎 寅 Tiger ? 卯 Rabbit 龍 辰 Dragon 蛇 巳 Snake 馬 午 Horse 羊 未 Sheep ? 申 Monkey ? 酉 Rooster 狗 戌 Dog ? 亥 Pig Legend describes the order of the zodiac was determined through a race , in which the rat cheated by standing on the ox ' s head and jumping ahead of him when they reached the finish line . [ edit ] The twelve year cycleThe system of the yearly cycle was built from observations of the orbit of Jupiter . Chinese astronomers divided the celestial circle into 12 sections to follow the orbit of ? 星 Su ? x ? ng ( Jupiter , the Year Star ) . Astronomers rounded the orbit of Suixing to 12 years ( from 11 . 86 ) . Suixing was associated with Sheti ( ? B ? otes ) and sometimes called Sheti . [ edit ] The months - the inner animalsThe 12 animals also apply to the lunar months . The month born affects a person ' s inner animal , as stated above . Remember , the Chinese Calendar is offset to start in the traditional February , or even in early March . Solar LongitudeSegment NameWestern dateLunar Month ( Ordinal - Name ) 314 ° 立 春 l ? ch ? nFeb 03 / 04 - Feb 18 / 191 st - 寅 Tiger 329 ° 雨水 y ? shu ? Feb 18 / 19 - Mar 05 / 06344 ° 啓蟄 q ? zh ? ( 驚蟄 j ? ngzh ? ) Mar 05 / 06 - Mar 20 / 212 nd - 卯 Rabbit 0 ° 春分 ch ? nf ? nMar 20 / 21 - Apr 04 / 0514 °? 明 q ? ngm ? ngApr 04 / 05 - Apr 19 / 203 rd - 辰 Dragon 29 ° 穀雨 g ? y ? Apr 19 / 20 - May 0544 ° 立 夏 l ? xi ? May 05 - May 20 / 214 th - 巳 Snake 59 ° 小滿 xi ? om ? nMay 20 / 21 - June 05 / 0674 ° 芒種 m ? ngzh ? ngJun 05 / 06 - Jun 20 / 215 th - 午 Horse 89 ° 夏至 xi ? zh ? Jun 20 / 21 - Jul 06 / 07104 ° 小暑 xi ? osh ? Jul 06 / 07 - Jul 22 / 236 th - 未 Sheep 119 ° 大暑 d ? sh ? Jul 22 / 23 - Aug 07134 ° 立 秋 l ? qi ? Aug 07 - Aug 22 / 237 th - 申 Monkey 149 ° 處暑 ch ? sh ? Aug 22 / 23 - Sep 07 / 08164 ° 白露 b ? il ? Sep 07 / 08 - Sep 22 / 238 th - 酉 Rooster 181 ° 秋分 qi ? f ? nSep 22 / 23 - Oct 07 / 08194 ° 寒露 h ? nl ? Oct 07 / 08 - Oct 239 th - 戌 Dog 211 ° 霜降 shu ? ngji ? ngOct 23 - Nov 07224 ° 立冬 l ? d ? ngNov 07 - Nov 21 / 2210 th - 亥 Pig 244 ° 小雪 xi ? oxu ? Nov 21 / 22 - Dec 06 / 07251 ° 大雪 d ? xu ? Dec 06 / 07 - Dec 21 / 2211 th - 子 Rat 271 ° 冬至 d ? ngzh ? Dec 21 / 22 - Jan 05 / 06284 ° 小寒 xi ? oh ? nJan 05 / 06 - Jan 19 / 2012 th - 丑 Ox 301 ° 大寒 d ? h ? nJan 19 / 20 - Feb 03 / 04 [ edit ] The hours - the secret animalsThe Chinese zodiac is also used to label times of day , with each sign corresponding to a " large - hour " or shichen ( 時辰 ) , which is a two - hour period . ( 24 divided by 12 animals ) The large - hour in which a person is born is their secret animal , as stated above . 23 : 00 - 01 : 00 : 子 rat 01 : 00 - 03 : 00 : 丑 ox 03 : 00 - 05 : 00 : 寅 tiger 05 : 00 - 07 : 00 : 卯 rabbit 07 : 00 - 09 : 00 : 辰 dragon 09 : 00 - 11 : 00 : 巳 snake 11 : 00 - 13 : 00 : 午 horse 13 : 00 - 15 : 00 : 未 sheep 15 : 00 - 17 : 00 : 申 monkey 17 : 00 - 19 : 00 : 酉 rooster 19 : 00 - 21 : 00 : 戌 dog 21 : 00 - 23 : 00 : 亥 pig [ edit ] The Four Animal Trines [ edit ] The First TrineThe first trine consists of the Rat , Dragon , and Monkey . These three signs are intense and powerful individuals , capable of great good or great evil . They make great leaders , but the three have different approaches . Rats and Dragons have a tendency to be quite dictatorial and autocratic , whilst monkeys are more diplomatic . Frustrated when hampered , these signs are ruled by highly potent energy and unpredictability . They are intelligent , magnanimous , charismatic , charming , authoritative , confident , eloquent and artistic . They can also be tyrannical , bombastic , prejudiced , deceitful , imperious , ruthless , power - hungry , and megalomaniacal . [ edit ] The Second TrineThe second trine consists of the Ox , Snake , and Rooster . These three soul mates conquer life through endurance , application , and slow accumulation of energy . Although each sign is fixed and rigid in opinions and views , they are genius in the art of meticulous planning . They are hardworking , discreet , modest , industrious , charitable , loyal , punctual , philosophical , patient , and good - hearted individuals with high moral standards . They can also be self - righteous , vain , critical , judgemental , narrow - minded , petty , and pessimistic . [ edit ] The Third TrineThe third trine consists of the Tiger , Horse , and Dog . These three signs seek one another , and are like - minded in their pursuit of humanitarian causes . Each is a gifted orator and excels at verbal communication . Relationships and personal contact are of highest priority and each one seek their intimate soul mate . Idealistic and impulsive , the Tiger , Horse and Dog follow the beat of their own drummer . Defiant against injustice , these three signs wilt without large amounts of physical affection and loyal support for causes . They are productive , enthusiastic , independent , engaging , dynamic , and honorable . They can also be rash , rebellious , quarrelsome , hot - headed , reckless , anxious , moody , disagreeable , stubborn , and selfish . [ edit ] The Fourth TrineThe fourth trine consists of the Rabbit , Sheep and Pig . The quest for these three signs is the aesthetic and beautiful in life . Their calm nature give them great leadership abilities . They are artistic , refined , intuitive , and well - mannered . These souls love the preliminaries in love , and are fine artists in their lovemaking . The Rabbit , Sheep and Pig have been bestowed with calmer natures than the other 9 signs . These three are compassionately aware , yet detached and resigned to their condition . They seek beauty and a sensitive lover . They are caring , unique , self - sacrificing , obliging , sensible , creative , empathetic , tactful , and prudent . They can also be naive , pedantic , insecure , cunning , indecisive , and pessimistic . [ edit ] Zodiac origin storiesThe 12 Zodiac animal signs ( 生 肖 shengxiao ) are , in order , the rat , ox , tiger , rabbit , dragon , snake , horse , sheep ( ram or goat ) , monkey , rooster , dog , and pig . There are many legends to explain the beginning of the zodiac ( see Origins of the Chinese Zodiac ) . one of the most popular reads , in summarized form , as follows : The rat was given the task of inviting the animals to report to the Jade Emperor for a banquet to be selected for the zodiac signs . The cat was a good friend of the rat , but the rat tricked him into believing that the banquet was the next day . The cat slept through the banquet , thinking that it was the next day . When he found out , the cat vowed to be the rat ' s natural enemy for ages to come . Interestingly , the cat does make it into the Vietnamese Zodiac , in place of the rabbit ( see below ) . Another popular legend has it that a race was used to decide the animals to report to the Jade Emperor . The cat and the rat were the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom . Although bad swimmers , they were both intelligent . They decided that the best and fastest way to cross the river was to hop on the back of the ox . The ox , being a na ? ve and good - natured animal , agreed to carry them across . However , overcome with a fierce competitiveness , the rat decided that in order to win , it must do something and promptly pushed the cat into the river . Because of this , the cat has never forgiven the rat , and hates the water as well . After the ox had crossed the river , the rat jumped ahead and reached the shore first , and it claimed first place in the competition . Following closely behind was the strong ox , and it was named the 2 nd animal in the zodiac . After the ox , came the tiger , panting , while explaining to the Emperor just how difficult it was to cross the river with the heavy currents pushing it downstream all the time . But with powerful strength , it made to shore and was named the 3 rd animal in the cycle . Suddenly , from a distance came a thumping sound , and the rabbit arrived . It explained how it crossed the river : by jumping from one stone to another in a nimble fashion . Halfway through , it almost lost the race but the rabbit was lucky enough to grab hold of a floating log that later washed him to shore . For that , it became the 4 th animal in the zodiac cycle . Coming in 5 th place was the dragon , flying and belching fire into the air . Of course , the Emperor was deeply curious as to why a strong and flying creature such as the dragon should fail to reach first . The mighty dragon explained that he had to stop and make rain to help all the people and creatures of the earth , and therefore he was held back a little . Then , on his way to the finish line , he saw a little helpless rabbit clinging on to a log so he did a good deed and gave a puff of breath to the poor creature so that it could land on the shore . The Emperor was very pleased with the actions of the dragon , and he was added into the zodiac cycle . As soon as he had done so , a galloping sound was heard , and the horse appeared . Hidden on the horse ' s hoof is the snake , whose sudden appearance gave the horse a fright , thus making it fall back and gave the snake 6 th spot while the horse took the 7 th . Not long after that , a little distance away , the ram , monkey and rooster came to the shore . These three creatures helped each other to get to where they are . The rooster spotted a raft , and took the other two animals with it . Together , the ram and the monkey cleared the weeds , tugged and pulled and finally got the raft to the shore . Because of their combined efforts , the Emperor was very pleased and promptly named the ram as the 8 th creature , the monkey as the 9 th , and the rooster the 10 th . The 11 th animal is the dog . His explanation for being late ? although he was supposed to be the best swimmer amongst the rest ? was that he needed a good bath after a long spell , and the fresh water from the river was too big a temptation . For that , he almost didn ' t make it to finish line . Just as the Emperor was about to call it a day , an oink and squeal was heard from a little pig . The pig got hungry during the race , promptly stopped for a feast and then fell asleep . After the nap , the pig continued the race and was named the 12 th and last animal of the zodiac cycle . The cat finished too late ( thirteenth ) to win any place in the calendar , and vowed to be the enemy of the rat forevermore . Some versions of the tale say that the cattle nominated a water buffalo to represent them because he was more proficient at swimming . The trade was acceptable because both animals are bovines . Another version of the tale expands the race . The route ran through a forest , over ranges of plains and grasslands and along a stream , before finally crossing a lake to the destination town . Yet another variation tells of two different races . The first involved all the animals , in two divisions to avoid the fast animals dominating the top , and the top six in each division would " make the cut " for a second round , which would then determine the order of placement of the animals in the zodiac . In yet another variation , each animal was called before its peers and had to explain why it deserved a position at the top of the Zodiac . The Boar , at a loss , proceeded to claim that the meat on its bones " tasted good ". This explanation was apparently considered unsatisfactory , because the Boar was placed at the very end of the Zodiac . Another variation shows that the cat was ( informally ) the 13 th month ( 13 being an unlucky number or 1 + 3 = 4 , also a bad number ) so any cats ( and especially the black cat ) are considered a bad omen . Another variation tells the tale where the dogs and the wild boars were the last ones ( and almost were left out ) , and they share a mutual affection despite their differences . [ edit ] Chinese zodiac in other countriesThe Chinese zodiac signs are also used by cultures other than Chinese . For one example , they usually appear on Japanese New Year ' s cards and stamps . The United States Postal Service and those of several other countries issue a " Year of the _____" postage stamp each year to honor this Chinese heritage . However , those unfamiliar with the use of the Chinese lunar calendar usually just assume that the signs switch over on Jan 1 of each year . Those who are serious about the fortune telling aspect of the signs can consult a table , such as the one above . The Chinese zodiac is also used in some other Asian countries that have been under the cultural influence of China . However , some of the animals in the Zodiac may differ by country . For example , the Vietnamese zodiac is almost identical to Chinese zodiac except that the second animal is the water buffalo instead of the ox , the fourth animal is the cat instead of the rabbit and the eight animal is the goat instead of the sheep . The Japanese zodiac includes the wild boar instead of the pig , and the Thai zodiac includes a naga in place of the dragon . The European Huns used the Chinese Zodiac complete with " dragon ", " pig ". This common Chinese - Turkic Zodiac was in use in Balkan Bulgaria well into the Bulgars ' adoption of Slavic language and Orthodox Christianity . Following is the Hunnish or Turkic Bulgarian Pagan zodiac calendar , distinctive from the Greek zodiac but much in conformity with the Chinese one : Kam - Boyan Calendar . [ edit ] Tor ? calendarNames of yearsKuzg ? - [ Year of ] Saravana Shiger ( Syger ) - Artom ( Taurus ) Kuman ( Im ? n ) ? gur - Tiger Myach ? ? gur - Tiger Taushan - Rabbit Samar - Dragon Birg ? n ( Bergen , Birig , Baradj ) - Dragon Dilan - Snake Tuki ( Tykha ) - Horse T ? k ? - Sheep ( Ram or Goat ) Bichin , Michin - Monkey Tavuk - Rooster , Hen ( also written ta ? uk ? ? is pronounced as v in Turk . verbs d ? ? mek and ? ? mek ) It - Dog Shushma - Pig ( many mistake it as boar though ) ( Turk . , Russ . " Kaban " - Translator ' s Note , also cognate of Turkish ? i ? man , " fat ")