Chinese zodiac Rooster
The tenth sign and the most precise: every Rooster year, five kinds of Rooster, and who it pairs with.
Rooster
01 · THE SIGN
Why the Rooster is the sign of clarity
The Rooster is the tenth sign and the only bird on the wheel. The rooster announces the dawn, which made it a symbol of order in the household: a creature that keeps time, that is up before everyone else, and that has something to say. Tradition reads the sign the same way: observant, hard-working, proud of its appearance, and direct about what it sees.
The Rooster's branch, You, covers 5 to 7 pm, the hour of sunset, and its element is Metal. Metal is the element of standards and clean lines, and it describes the sign well: precise, organised, and not afraid to say that something is wrong.
The Rooster on the wheel
- Triple harmony: Ox and Snake
- Secret friend: Dragon
- Clash: Rabbit
- Place
- 10 of 12
- Branch
- You
- Hours
- 5 to 7 pm
- Polarity
- Yin
- Own element
- Metal
- Month
- early September to early October
02 · YEARS
Every Rooster year
You are a Rooster if you were born in one of these Chinese years. Each starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born in January or February? Check the start date for your year. The other eleven animals are on the Chinese zodiac overview.
03 · ELEMENTS
The five kinds of Rooster
Every Rooster carries two elements. The sign itself is Metal, fixed, because the Rooster's earthly branch (You) belongs to Metal. The year then adds a second element, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water. That second element is what makes a 1993 Rooster different from a 2005 Rooster, even though both are the same animal.
Wood Rooster
2005 · 1945
The Wood Rooster is the most open. Wood adds warmth and growth, so this Rooster shares and teaches, and softens its directness with kindness.
Fire Rooster
2017 · 1957
The Fire Rooster is the most flamboyant. Fire gives the Rooster a stage and a loud voice, so this Rooster is confident, competitive, and hard to ignore.
Earth Rooster
2029 · 1969
The Earth Rooster is the most dependable. Earth adds steadiness and practical sense. This is the Rooster that plans, organises, and is relied on by everyone.
Metal Rooster
1981
The Metal Rooster is the most exacting. Metal on Metal doubles the standards, so this Rooster is precise, disciplined, and a perfectionist. It is hardest on itself.
Water Rooster
1993 · 1933
The Water Rooster is the most perceptive. Water adds intuition and flexibility, so this Rooster reads people as well as it reads details.
04 · TRAITS
What the tradition says about the Rooster
Strengths
- Observant, with an eye for detail that others miss.
- Hard-working and organised, and always on time.
- Honest. A Rooster says what it sees.
- Confident in front of people, and proud of its craft.
- Dependable in a crisis, because it already has a plan.
Blind spots
- Critical, and slow to say well done.
- Perfectionist, and impatient with sloppy work.
- Likes to be right, and says so.
- Cares a great deal about how it is seen.
- Struggles to relax when something is out of place.
05 · COMPATIBILITY
Rooster compatibility
The Rooster's best matches are Ox and Snake (triple harmony) and Dragon (secret friend). Rabbit sits opposite on the wheel and is the traditional clash. Every tie below comes from where the two animals sit on the zodiac wheel.
- Triple harmonyOx and Snake
- The strongest traditional match. You want the same things and move at the same speed.
- Secret friendDragon
- A balancing pair. Each one fills in what the other lacks.
- ClashRabbit
- Opposite on the wheel. Strong pull and plenty of friction.
- HarmDog
- Small misreadings that add up. Say things out loud.
- BreakRat
- Good plans can slip through small gaps. Check the details together.
- No special tieTiger, Horse, Goat, Monkey and Pig
- No special tie in either direction. The two people matter more than the signs.
06 · 2026 AND 2027
The Rooster in 2026 and 2027
2026 is a Fire Horse year and 2027 a Fire Goat year. Both carry Fire, so the animal sets the tone and the element sets the pace.
2026
Fire Horse year
Rooster and Horse have no special tie, but the Horse's Fire melts the Rooster's Metal in the cycle of control. Tradition reads pressure on standards: demands go up, so do expectations of you. The Rooster that stays organised and says no to extras comes through with credit.
2027
Fire Goat year
Rooster and Goat have no special tie, and the Goat's Earth feeds the Rooster's Metal, which softens the year's Fire. Tradition reads a steadier year than 2026: results arrive for work done earlier, and recognition follows. It rewards detail and consistency.
How a Fire year meets each kind of Rooster
- Wood Rooster
- Wood feeds Fire, so the Wood Rooster teaches and tires. Delegate the routine.
- Fire Rooster
- Fire meets Fire. The Fire Rooster is at its loudest and most competitive. Keep it constructive.
- Earth Rooster
- Fire feeds Earth, so the Earth Rooster is supported. Planning and organising pay off.
- Metal Rooster
- Fire melts Metal, which puts the Metal Rooster's perfectionism under heat. Allow one thing to be good enough.
- Water Rooster
- Water meets Fire head on. The Water Rooster reads people and details at once. Use both.
Your sign is where it starts
Your Annual Report
A Rooster 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.
07 · FAMOUS
Famous Roosters
Counted with the same Chinese New Year table as this page, so early-year birthdays land in the right sign.
- Beyoncé · Metal Rooster, September 4, 1981
- Ariana Grande · Water Rooster, June 26, 1993
- Jay-Z · Earth Rooster, December 4, 1969
- Britney Spears · Metal Rooster, December 2, 1981
- Keke Palmer · Water Rooster, August 26, 1993
- Mariah Carey · Earth Rooster, March 27, 1969
- Mia Goth · Water Rooster, October 25, 1993
- Jennifer Lopez · Earth Rooster, July 24, 1969
- Harry Styles · Water Rooster, February 1, 1994
08 · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What years are Rooster years?
2029, 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969, 1957, 1945, 1933. Each Rooster year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January, so a January or February birthday may belong to the animal before.
What element is the Rooster?
Every Rooster carries two elements. The sign itself is Metal, fixed, because the Rooster's earthly branch (You) belongs to Metal. The year then adds a second element, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water. That second element is what makes a 1993 Rooster different from a 2005 Rooster, even though both are the same animal.
Who is the Rooster compatible with?
Ox and Snake are in the same triple harmony, the strongest traditional match. Dragon is the secret friend. Rabbit is the traditional clash. Each tie comes from where the two animals sit on the zodiac wheel.
Is the Rooster the only bird in the Chinese zodiac?
Yes. Of the twelve animals, the Rooster is the only bird. It earned its place as a symbol of dawn and of order in the household.
Is the Rooster a bossy sign?
The Rooster is read as direct, organised, and quick to name a problem, which can come across as bossy. The tradition sees the same trait as clarity and dependability.
How do I know if I am a Rooster?
Use your Chinese year, not your calendar year. If you were born in January or February, check the date of Chinese New Year in your birth year: before it, you belong to the animal of the year before. The Chinese zodiac calculator on this site does the check for you.
Where does the Chinese zodiac come from?
It is one of the oldest ways people have kept time. The ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches were already counting days on Shang dynasty oracle bones more than 3,000 years ago. The earliest written pairings of the twelve branches with animals appear on bamboo slips from the Qin dynasty, over 2,200 years old. Stems and branches together make a 60-year cycle, and the twelve-animal wheel travelled across East Asia, where Vietnam swaps the Rabbit for a Cat. Legend gives it a story: the Jade Emperor called a great race, and the Rat won by riding on the Ox's back, which is why the Rat opens the wheel. It is a living tradition, read here as a mirror for reflection.
Updated November 2026
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