Chinese zodiac · jī
雞
The Rooster in the Chinese Zodiac
The sharp-eyed perfectionist who says the truth.
Personality and traits
The Rooster is the tenth of the twelve animals — a yin sign whose fixed element is Metal (金), at home in autumn. Traditional readings call the Rooster observant, confident, honest, hardworking, proud.
Strengths
- · Catches every detail
- · Dazzling when it counts
- · Fiercely reliable
Watch-outs
- · Blunt
- · Critical
- · Vain about being right
Rooster years and their elements
Every Rooster year carries a different Heavenly Stem, so a Fire Rooster is not a Earth Rooster. The year turns at Lìchūn (~February 4) — if you were born in January or early February, check your exact date with the free chart.
Compatibility
The Rooster’s strongest traditional allies are the Ox 牛, the Snake 蛇 and the Dragon 龍. The pairing that costs the most effort is the Rabbit 兔, which sits against the Rooster’s grain — workable, but never free.
Lucky correspondences
Numbers: 5, 7, 8
Colors: Gold, Brown, Yellow
Flowers: Gladiola, Cockscomb
Directions: South, Southeast
The Rooster in 2026 — A year to steer
Rooster has no fixed bond or clash with the Horse. The year neither carries you nor fights you. What you build this year is mostly what you choose to build.
Read the Rooster’s full 2026 outlookQuestions
What years is the Rooster in the Chinese zodiac?
Recent Rooster years are 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029. Each carries a different element: for example 2017 was a Fire Rooster year. Note that the zodiac year begins at Lìchūn (around February 4), not at Lunar New Year — January and early-February birthdays often belong to the previous animal.
What is the Rooster's personality in Chinese astrology?
The sharp-eyed perfectionist who says the truth. Traditional readings describe the Rooster as observant, confident, honest, hardworking, proud — with strengths like catches every detail and dazzling when it counts, and watch-outs like being blunt and critical.
Who is the Rooster most compatible with?
The Rooster's strongest traditional matches are the Ox, the Snake, the Dragon. The most challenging pairing is the Rabbit — not doomed, but a relationship that costs more effort to keep aligned.
How is 2026 for the Rooster?
2026 is the Yang Fire Horse year (丙午). For the Rooster: Rooster has no fixed bond or clash with the Horse. The year neither carries you nor fights you. What you build this year is mostly what you choose to build.
Your year animal is one third of the picture — the month and hour pillars complete it.