1940 Chinese zodiac: Metal Dragon
Born on or after February 8, 1940, you are a Metal Dragon. Born January 1 to February 7, 1940, you are an Earth Rabbit.
Metal Dragon · 1940
01 · DATES
Why 1940 has two signs
The Chinese year does not start on 1 January. It starts at Chinese New Year, which was February 8, 1940 in 1940. So the people born in 1940 split across two animals.
| Born | Sign | Chinese year |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 1940 to February 7, 1940 | Earth Rabbit | 1939 (己卯) |
| February 8, 1940 to December 31, 1940 | Metal Dragon | 1940 (庚辰) |
Dates follow the calendar in China. Five Elements (BaZi) charts change year at the start of spring, around 4 February, so a BaZi chart can give a different animal for an early-February birthday. See the Five Elements tool.
Chinese New Year 1940 is on a Thursday, February 8, 1940, and the Lantern Festival closes the celebration on February 22, 1940. The Metal Dragon year lasts 354 days, until January 26, 1941. The same sign and element came round in 1880 and come round again in 2000. A 1940 birthday turns 86 in 2026 and 87 in 2027. Before it came the Earth Rabbit year, from February 19, 1939. After it comes the Metal Snake year, from January 27, 1941.
02 · THIS YEAR
What sets 1940 apart
Chinese New Year came 11 days earlier on the calendar than in 1939. The Sun entered Aquarius on January 21, 1940, 18 days earlier, so the Metal Dragon year opens in Aquarius season.
38 days of 1940, from January 1 to February 7, 1940, still belong to the Earth Rabbit year. The other 328 belong to the Metal Dragon.
Chinese New Year came 4 days after 4 February, the usual start of spring. For those 4 days, from February 4, 1940 to February 7, 1940, the Chinese calendar still counts an Earth Rabbit where a Five Elements chart already counts a Metal Dragon.
03 · ELEMENT
What the Metal adds to the Dragon
The Metal Dragon is the sharpest. Metal adds discipline and a high standard, so this Dragon is exacting with itself and with everyone else. It is formidable when the goal is clear and brittle when it is not. It is a Yang year (even), the outward, active side.
The year's stem is Metal and the Dragon's own branch is Earth. Earth feeds Metal in the cycle, so the animal supports the year's element. Traditionally that is the easier mix: the sign backs the element.
Every Dragon year has a different element, so a Metal Dragon is not the same as the other Dragons. The cycle repeats every 60 years. Read the full Dragon guide, or see all 12 signs and every year on the Chinese zodiac overview.
The Dragon year before this one was 1928, an Earth Dragon year that began on January 23, 1928. Chinese New Year was 16 days earlier then, and the element moved on from Earth to Metal. The Dragon year after this one was 1952, a Water Dragon year that began on January 27, 1952. Chinese New Year was 12 days earlier then, and the element then moved on from Metal to Water.
Your own year, the year your animal comes round again, repeats every 12 years: 1952 (Water Dragon), 1964 (Wood Dragon), 1976 (Fire Dragon), 1988 (Earth Dragon), 2000 (Metal Dragon).
| Year | Sign | Starts |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Wood Dragon | February 10, 2024 |
| 2012 | Water Dragon | January 23, 2012 |
| 2000 | Metal Dragon | February 5, 2000 |
| 1988 | Earth Dragon | February 17, 1988 |
| 1976 | Fire Dragon | January 31, 1976 |
| 1964 | Wood Dragon | February 13, 1964 |
| 1952 | Water Dragon | January 27, 1952 |
| 1940 | Metal Dragonthis page | February 8, 1940 |
| 1928 | Earth Dragon | January 23, 1928 |
04 · THE SIGN
The Dragon behind the Metal
The Dragon's best matches are Rat and Monkey (triple harmony) and Rooster (secret friend). Dog sits opposite on the wheel and is the traditional clash.
Strengths and blind spots, every compatible sign, and the full 2026 and 2027 reading are on the Dragon guide.
05 · 2026 AND 2027
What 2026 and 2027 mean for a Metal Dragon
Every year carries its own animal and element. Here is how each one sits next to a Metal Dragon, read the traditional way. Treat it as something to think with, not a forecast.
2026
Fire Horse year
Animal. Dragon and Horse have no special tie, so the year reads as neutral. The Horse's Fire feeds the Dragon's own Earth, which supports the sign. Tradition reads a steady, productive year: the Dragon sets the pace and the year does not get in the way.
Element. Fire controls Metal in the cycle. Read it as pressure that tests and sharpens you, not as bad luck.
2027
Fire Goat year
Animal. Dragon and Goat have no special tie, and the year's Fire feeds the Dragon's own Earth. Tradition reads 2027 as a calm year for the Dragon, good for finishing what was started in 2026. Large moves go better when they are patient ones.
Element. Fire controls Metal in the cycle. Read it as pressure that tests and sharpens you, not as bad luck.
Your sign is where it starts
Your Annual Report
A Metal Dragon year is shared by a lot of people, and no two of them live it the same way. Your Annual Report reads your Five Elements and Western chart together, then draws your year as one curve. You can see the months that carry you forward, the ones that ask you to slow down, and how the year builds from January to December.
06 · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chinese zodiac for 1940?
Birthdays from February 8, 1940 to December 31, 1940 fall in the Chinese year of the Metal Dragon, which runs until January 26, 1941. Birthdays from January 1 to February 7, 1940 belong to the year before: Earth Rabbit.
What if I was born in January or February 1940?
The Chinese year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. In 1940 that was February 8, 1940. Born before it, you are an Earth Rabbit. Born on or after it, you are a Metal Dragon. 38 days of 1940, from January 1 to February 7, 1940, still belong to the Earth Rabbit year. The other 328 belong to the Metal Dragon.
When is Chinese New Year 1940?
Thursday, February 8, 1940. Chinese New Year came 11 days earlier on the calendar than in 1939. The Lantern Festival, on the 15th day, is February 22, 1940.
How long is the Metal Dragon year?
354 days, from February 8, 1940 to January 26, 1941. That is 11 days shorter than a 365-day calendar year, because it has twelve lunar months and no leap month.
What element is the 1940 Dragon?
Metal, with Yang polarity. Metal adds discipline, high standards, and a hard edge. The Dragon years are 2024 (Wood), 2012 (Water), 2000 (Metal), 1988 (Earth), 1976 (Fire), 1964 (Wood), 1952 (Water), 1940 (Metal), 1928 (Earth).
Does the Dragon back its Metal in a Metal Dragon?
The year's stem is Metal and the Dragon's own branch is Earth. Earth feeds Metal in the cycle, so the animal supports the year's element. Traditionally that is the easier mix: the sign backs the element.
When does the Dragon come round again after 1940?
Your own year, the year your animal comes round again, repeats every 12 years: 1952 (Water Dragon), 1964 (Wood Dragon), 1976 (Fire Dragon), 1988 (Earth Dragon), 2000 (Metal Dragon).
How old is a 1940 Dragon in 2027?
A birthday in 1940 turns 86 in 2026 and 87 in 2027, counted the Western way. The sign does not change with age: you stay a Metal Dragon for life.
Who is a Metal Dragon compatible with?
The Dragon's best matches are Rat and Monkey (triple harmony) and Rooster (secret friend). Dog sits opposite on the wheel and is the traditional clash. These are old zodiac-wheel relations, and they describe tendencies, not outcomes.
What do 2026 and 2027 mean for a Metal Dragon?
Dragon and Horse have no special tie, so the year reads as neutral. The Horse's Fire feeds the Dragon's own Earth, which supports the sign. Tradition reads a steady, productive year: the Dragon sets the pace and the year does not get in the way. Fire controls Metal in the cycle. Read it as pressure that tests and sharpens you, not as bad luck. For 2027, a Fire Goat year: Dragon and Goat have no special tie, and the year's Fire feeds the Dragon's own Earth. Tradition reads 2027 as a calm year for the Dragon, good for finishing what was started in 2026. Large moves go better when they are patient ones. Fire controls Metal in the cycle. Read it as pressure that tests and sharpens you, not as bad luck.
Updated November 2026
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