The Ox is the second of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, after the Rat. Recent Ox years are 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 and 2021, and the next begins on January 31, 2033. The year starts on Lunar New Year, not on January 1, so early-year birthdays need a closer look. The sign is traditionally said to be dependable, patient and hard-working.
What years are Ox years?
Ox years fall 12 years apart. Here is the first and last day of each, with the element that goes with it.
| Ox year | First day | Last day | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | January 24, 1925 | February 12, 1926 | Wood |
| 1937 | February 11, 1937 | January 30, 1938 | Fire |
| 1949 | January 29, 1949 | February 16, 1950 | Earth |
| 1961 | February 15, 1961 | February 4, 1962 | Metal |
| 1973 | February 3, 1973 | January 22, 1974 | Water |
| 1985 | February 20, 1985 | February 8, 1986 | Wood |
| 1997 | February 7, 1997 | January 27, 1998 | Fire |
| 2009 | January 26, 2009 | February 13, 2010 | Earth |
| 2021 | February 12, 2021 | January 31, 2022 | Metal |
| 2033 | January 31, 2033 | February 18, 2034 | Water |
Born in January or February? Check the date
The zodiac year turns over on Lunar New Year, which can fall on any date from January 21 to February 20. The Ox year of 1985 began on the very last of those dates, so it is the one that catches the most people out.
- Born on February 15, 1985? The Ox year was still five days away. You are a Rat.
- Born on February 5, 2021? Also a Rat. The Ox year began on February 12.
- Born on January 20, 1998? You are an Ox, although most people born in 1998 are Tigers. The Ox year ran until January 27.
The tool below checks any birthday and shows the animal and element for that exact date. It also has a page of its own: Birthday Profile.
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What is the Ox's personality said to be?
The zodiac Ox is the animal that pulls the plow: strong, steady and uncomplaining. People born in its year are traditionally said to be dependable, patient and hard-working. National Museums Liverpool describes the sign as bright, patient and inspiring to others, content with its own company and a strong friend once won over.
The picture owes a lot to farm life. The Victoria and Albert Museum notes that the ox was considered the farmer's best friend, and that a boy riding an ox became a stock image in Chinese art for a hard-working, contented people in peaceful times.
Traits commonly attached to the sign:
- Said to be strengths: reliability, stamina, honesty, calm, loyalty to family and friends.
- Said to be weaknesses: stubbornness, a slow temper that is fierce when it finally goes, a dislike of change.
These are folk portraits, and fairly young ones: the same museum observes that old Chinese texts do not connect birth years with character at all. Roughly one person in 12 is an Ox, and no single description fits them.
What are the five types of Ox?
Alongside the 12 animals runs a cycle of ten "heavenly stems," grouped under five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Every year has both an animal and an element, and a given pairing, such as Metal and Ox, comes back only once in 60 years.
Ox years always end in an odd number, and that last digit gives the element.
| Type | Years | Year ends in | The element is traditionally linked with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Ox | 1925, 1985 | 5 | Growth, generosity and cooperation |
| Fire Ox | 1937, 1997 | 7 | Passion, energy and leadership |
| Earth Ox | 1949, 2009 | 9 | Stability, patience and practicality |
| Metal Ox | 1961, 2021 | 1 | Determination, discipline and strength |
| Water Ox | 1973, 2033 | 3 | Flexibility, intuition and communication |
The element is said to shade the animal's character. A Water Ox is described as a more easygoing Ox, a Metal Ox as an even more determined one. Treat that as part of the same folklore.
Why did the Ox finish second in the Great Race?
Because it was kind, or trusting, depending on who tells the story. In the legend, the Jade Emperor ordered a race across a river to decide the order of the years. The Ox, a strong swimmer, agreed to carry the Rat on its back. It reached the far bank ahead of everyone, and at the last moment the Rat jumped down and crossed the line first. The Ox, which had done all the work, came second.
The tale is told in many versions; ours is on the page about Chinese New Year animals.
In the older counting system behind the animals, the Ox stands for the second of the 12 "earthly branches," written 丑 (chou). The animal is 牛 (niu). The same branch names the hours from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. In the Vietnamese zodiac the second sign is the Water Buffalo, and the years line up with the Chinese ones.
What does an Ox year mean if you are an Ox?
The next Ox year runs from January 31, 2033 to February 18, 2034, and babies born in it will be Water Oxen. For anyone born in an earlier Ox year it is their own sign's year again, at 12, 24, 36, 48 or 60. Turning 60 closes the full circle: someone born in the Water Ox year of 1973 meets the same animal and the same element for the first time since birth.
A person's own zodiac year is called the ben ming nian. By a widespread folk belief it is a year to get through carefully and not a lucky one, and people traditionally wear red during it. That is custom, not prediction.
Which signs is the Ox said to get along with?
In the traditional scheme, the Ox belongs to a group of three with the Snake and the Rooster, and is paired with the Rat, the sign just before it. Its opposite, six places away in the cycle, is the Goat. The logic of these sets, and the reasons to treat them as folklore, are in our guide to Chinese zodiac compatibility.
After the Ox comes the Tiger. The year that begins on February 6, 2027 is the Ox's opposite number: see Year of the Goat 2027.