The Chinese zodiac animals are representative of the people born in each Chinese year. The 12 animals have different personality traits, likes and dislikes, which all people born under the same year share. Each animal sign rules for a year, and they follow in a specific order, appearing every 12 years.

The animals of the Chinese zodiac are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig (or Boar). Each of these animals rule a year, but months, days and hours are also associated with specific animals.

For this reason, someone may appear like an Ox to the world (her year sign), but have the inner mind of a Ram (her month sign) and the secret life of a Rabbit (the day and time of her birth). Chinese astrology may seem too broad since most people focus on the year animal, but, when you consider there are 8,640 different combinations, it has the potential to be a lot more accurate.

The Rat: (Birthdays in 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008) The Rat is hardworking, industrious and shrewd. People born in the year of the Rat are also charming and have magnetic personalities. It's said that finding a poor Rat is rare, since they are good in business.

The Ox: (Birthdays in 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009) The Ox is dependable, patient and methodical. They pay attention to the small things in life and aren't the type of people to be noticed by superiors. They can be poor at communication.

The Tiger: (Birthdays in 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010) The Tiger is rebellious, passionate and generous. A person born in the year of Tiger is here to make a splash in whatever area he chooses. They are tolerant, staunch and vigilant. In ancient times, the sign of the Tiger was associated with emperors and kings.

The Rabbit: (Birthdays in 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011) Rabbits are gracious, kind and sensitive. They like to express themselves through art. They have strong memories and like to make other people laugh. They are good at creating fun and excitement in their lives and the lives of others.

The Dragon: (Birthdays in 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012) People born in the year of the Dragon are proud, noble and passionate. They are stately, magnanimous and loyal to their friends. They can tend toward perfectionism and are goal-oriented.

The Snake: (Birthdays in 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013) Snakes are deep thinkers and tend toward the mystical. They are intelligent but can be secretive. They are good communicators and can put others at ease with just a word.

The Horse: (Birthdays in 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014) Horses are warm-hearted and interested in improving themselves. A horse is the spotlight of his community and likes to help others. They like to stay active and are kind to most people that they meet.

The Goat: (Birthdays in 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015) Goats have friends throughout many different social classes. People born in a Goat year are tender, kind and generous. They like to live quiet lives.

The Monkey: (Birthdays in 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016) People born in Monkey years are lively and active. A Monkey has a strong desire to be her own person and live in a way that allows her to be free of restraint. Monkeys have a genuine interest in helping others.

The Rooster: (Birthdays in 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017) Roosters are honest, bright and talkative. They have a tendency to flip-flop on issues and can be passionate about many different things.

The Dog: (Birthdays in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018) Dogs are gentle, lovable and kind. They are loyal and courageous under pressure. They like to stay comfortable and dislike overly loud people.

The Pig: (Birthdays in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019) The year of the Pig gives birth to people who are honest with those in their lives. They are loyal and sincere, and they expect others to be the same.