Year of the Pig
Revised . First published .
If you were born in 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007 or 2019, you likely belong to the Year of the Pig, the 12th sign of the Chinese zodiac. Because the Chinese calendar starts at the Lunar New Year in late January or February, birthdays early in the year fall under the previous animal, the Dog. We calculate your exact sign using your full birth date so you don't have to guess.
- Yang or yin
- Yin
- Constant element
- Water
- Conflicts with
- Snake
- A secret friend
- Tiger
Every Year of the Pig and its element
| Year | Starts | Ends | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Feb 4, 1935 | Jan 23, 1936 | Wood Pig |
| 1947 | Jan 22, 1947 | Feb 9, 1948 | Fire Pig |
| 1959 | Feb 8, 1959 | Jan 27, 1960 | Earth Pig |
| 1971 | Jan 27, 1971 | Feb 14, 1972 | Metal Pig |
| 1983 | Feb 13, 1983 | Feb 1, 1984 | Water Pig |
| 1995 | Jan 31, 1995 | Feb 18, 1996 | Wood Pig |
| 2007 | Feb 18, 2007 | Feb 6, 2008 | Fire Pig |
| 2019 | Feb 5, 2019 | Jan 24, 2020 | Earth Pig |
| 2031 | Jan 23, 2031 | Feb 10, 2032 | Metal Pig |
The Pig's personality traits
Chinese astrologers consider the Pig a yin sign, with receptive, calm and inward-looking energy rather than loud or forceful energy. Water is the sign's fixed element, a lasting quality that traditions connect with steady emotions and quiet depth. With this pairing, astrologers see patience, generosity and sincerity in how you treat the people you trust most.
Tradition also connects this sign with a strong love for comfort, good food and peaceful home routines. Since you dislike scheming and social games, you often believe what people tell you. Your honest streak makes you a loyal friend, according to astrologers, but it can also leave you exposed to people who exploit your kindness if you aren't careful.
Pig and its 5 element types
Chinese astrology calls people born in 1935 or 1995 a Wood Pig. Water remains the sign's base element, while the 60 year calendar combines every birth year with 1 of 5 changing elements. The Wood Pig is viewed by astrologers as cooperative, outgoing and eager to unite people. You're likely to assist neighbors and coworkers, even when you receive no reward yourself.
In the traditional cycle, births in 1947 and 2007 come under the Fire Pig. Within this otherwise quiet water sign, Fire brings heat and action. According to astrologers, you show more boldness and ambition than other Pigs, and you won't retreat when a goal matters to you. Building a comfortable life for your family involves risks you'll gladly take, although you can be impatient with slow results.
People born in 1959 or 2019 are part of the Earth Pig group. For practitioners, the earth element grounds you, making you practical, organized and steady with money. When a clear, sensible plan can get the job done safely, you don't chase wild dreams. You keep your promises and manage household duties without complaint, so friends and relatives often rely on you.
The Metal Pigs include people born in 1971 or 2031. Within Chinese tradition, metal gives your personality firm structure and outspoken honesty. Your direct manner, strong work ethic and pride in your good name stand out to astrologers. Straight to their faces, you'll tell people the truth, and you'll expect equal fairness from them in return. After choosing a path, you stay with it.
A birth year of 1923 or 1983 makes you a Water Pig, doubling the sign's natural water element. This pairing of two water elements signals strong intuition, diplomacy and gentle persuasion to astrologers. You can quickly read a room and calm tense arguments before they become fights. According to tradition, you might yield too easily if someone stricter pushes you.
- Check a calendar to find your 4 digit Chinese birth year.
- Check the year's final digit to find your rotating element.
- Use 0 or 1 for Metal, 2 or 3 for Water, 4 or 5 for Wood, 6 or 7 for Fire and 8 or 9 for Earth.
Who are the best matches for the Pig in love?
Your strongest partners are in your trine, which has 3 zodiac signs spaced 4 years apart. Astrologers read these signs as natural allies. The Pig's trine includes the Rabbit and the Goat. Each sign also has a secret friend in tradition, its closest ally according to ancient sky charts, and your closest ally is the Tiger. You'll create a warm and supportive home with a Tiger, Rabbit or Goat.
The Snake conflicts with the Pig at the zodiac wheel's opposite end, with 6 years separating their signs. While you favor open feelings and simple trust, astrologers describe the Snake as guarded, calculating and private. A relationship with the Snake won't necessarily fail, though tradition says both of you need more patience and clear talk to prevent daily misunderstandings.
Work and financial habits
Astrologers describe the Pig at work as someone steady who finishes tasks and favors teamwork over cutthroat competition. Fields that value care and patience suit your work best. Examples include medicine, teaching, hospitality, cooking, design and community service. Your boss makes you happiest at work by giving clear duties and letting you help people directly, since you dislike office politics.
Traditional texts associate the Pig with prosperity, but they also note a taste for luxury and generous spending. If you don't watch your budget, buying nice things for your house and treating friends to dinner can drain your savings, though you enjoy both. On payday, automatic transfers into your savings account help you enjoy life now and stay safe for retirement.
Common questions
In Chinese astrology, when does the Pig hour occur?
Between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM is the Pig hour, one of 12 blocks of 2 hours each in the 24 hour day. Your rising sign is Pig if you're born in this evening window, even when another animal rules your birth year. Astrologers connect this late evening birth time with someone who relaxes slowly and values a peaceful home.
Why is this sign sometimes called the Boar rather than the Pig?
Both names identify the exact same 12th zodiac sign, which appears in Chinese as the character Hai. Translators of Japanese zodiac texts often select Boar because Japanese folklore connects the sign with a wild forest boar instead of a farm pig. A book may call you a Pig or a Boar. In either case, your traits, matches and element stay identical.
If you're a Pig yourself, is your own year considered bad luck?
Your birth sign comes around every 12 years in Chinese tradition, and this period is known as Ben Ming Nian. Astrologers treat it as a time of major changes rather than guaranteed bad luck. During your zodiac year, you might switch jobs, relocate or make changes to an important relationship. To invite steady fortune, many people wear a red belt, a bracelet or a pair of socks all year.
What sign from the Western zodiac aligns with the Pig sign?
Chinese astrology links the Pig with a solar month spanning roughly November 7 through December 6. During it, the Sun shifts to 15°00′ Sagittarius from about 15°00′ Scorpio. Astrologers often compare the Pig with Scorpio because of this seasonal overlap. Astrologers say both water signs are emotionally deep and devoted to their inner circle. They read these signs as much stronger than their calm surface suggests.