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Chinese zodiac · 生肖 · 羊

Year of the Goat 羊年 · 生肖羊

The Goat is the eighth of the twelve zodiac animals, matching the earthly branch 未 (wèi). In English it is also called the Sheep or the Ram: the Chinese 羊 covers both animals.

Goat years and their exact dates

The zodiac year starts on Chinese New Year's Day, which moves between January 21 and February 20. If your birthday is in January or February, look at the start date: you may belong to the previous sign, the Horse.

Computed from the traditional Chinese calendar. Popular usage, which this table follows, starts the year on New Year's Day; bazi (八字) and some astrologers start it at the Start of Spring (立春, around February 4) instead, which can change the sign for birthdays between the two dates.

The five kinds of Goat

The element comes from the year's heavenly stem, so each element returns every 60 years. The traditional character sketches, briefly:

• Wood Goat (乙未; 1955, 2015): kind, generous, sociable.
• Fire Goat (丁未; 1967, 2027): warm, expressive, creative, with more drive than other Goats.
• Earth Goat (己未; 1979, 2039): steady, practical, dependable.
• Metal Goat (辛未; 1931, 1991): determined, with a firm inner core under a soft manner.
• Water Goat (癸未; 1943, 2003): perceptive, adaptable, good at reading people.

Goat personality, as tradition describes it

Zodiac personalities are folklore, not science, and nobody fits a type exactly. With that said, the Goat is traditionally described as the gentlest of the twelve signs:

• Gentle and kind. Calm, polite, sympathetic, quick to help and slow to fight.
• Artistic. A strong eye for beauty; Goats are often linked with the arts, design and craft.
• Peace-loving. Prefers harmony and a comfortable home to competition.
• The flip side: can be indecisive, worry too much, feel hurt easily, and lean on others when stressed.

The Goat's good name runs deep. In early Chinese writing 羊 stood in for 祥 (auspicious), and the character sits inside words for beauty (美) and goodness (善).

Goat compatibility

Traditional compatibility comes from how the twelve earthly branches relate to one another. For the Goat (未):

Families who take compatibility seriously, for example for a wedding, usually compare full bazi charts rather than just the year animal. Try our bazi reader.

2027: the Goat's own year (本命年)

Every twelve years your sign comes back around. This is your 本命年 (běnmìngnián), the "year of your own life". Tradition holds that in this year you "meet" Tai Sui (太岁), the deity who rules the year, so it is seen as a year of change that calls for a little extra care, not as an unlucky year.

The 丁未 year is the 本命年 for everyone born in a Goat year: 1943 (turning 84), 1955 (turning 72), 1967 (turning 60), 1979 (turning 48), 1991 (turning 36), 2003 (turning 24), 2015 (turning 12). For those born in 1967, it is even more special: 2027 is another 丁未 year, so they complete a full 60-year cycle (花甲), a milestone traditionally marked with a big birthday celebration.

本命年 customs

• Wear red. Red underwear, socks, a red belt (红腰带) or a red string bracelet (红绳), starting on New Year's Eve. Many families say the red should be a gift from someone else, ideally a parent or spouse, rather than bought for yourself.
• Carry a charm. A jade piece or a pendant of your animal, or of your "secret friend" (for Goats, the Horse).
• Visit a temple. Many Chinese temples, including in the diaspora, hold 安太岁 or 拜太岁 ceremonies early in the year to ask for a smooth year.
• Keep big moves considered. Older relatives may suggest not rushing into major changes. Think of it as a reminder to plan well rather than a rule.

Other signs traditionally said to be "in conflict with Tai Sui" (犯太岁) in a Goat year are the Ox (clash), the Rat (harm) and the Dog (punishment and break). The same red-and-temple customs apply to them, if they wish.

A 2027 outlook for Goats, as tradition frames it

Chinese astrology does not hand out one fortune per sign, and we do not make predictions. Traditionally, though, the shape of a Goat's 本命年 is described like this: a year to protect your energy and relationships, to finish what you start rather than scatter yourself, and to lean on your natural allies, the Rabbit, Pig and Horse people in your life. In five-element terms, the year's 丁 Fire feeds the Goat's own Earth, which many readers take as a supportive sign. Take what is useful, leave the rest, and enjoy wearing red.

Want a more personal reading? Our bazi reader looks at your full birth chart, not just the year animal.

Common questions

What years are the Year of the Goat?

Recent Goat years are 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015. The next is 2027, then 2039. Each starts on Chinese New Year's Day, not January 1: the 2027 Goat year runs from Feb 6, 2027 to Jan 25, 2028.

Is it the Year of the Goat, the Sheep or the Ram?

All three. The Chinese word 羊 (yáng) covers goats and sheep alike, so English translations vary. "Goat" is the most common, but there is no single correct choice.

I was born in January 2027. Am I a Goat?

No. The Goat year begins on Saturday, February 6, 2027, so anyone born from January 1 to February 5, 2027 is a Fire Horse. The same applies every Goat year: check the start date in the table. (Bazi practitioners count from the Start of Spring, February 4 in 2027, instead.)

Which signs are most compatible with the Goat?

Traditionally the Rabbit and the Pig, which form the Goat's "three harmonies" group (三合), and the Horse, its "six harmonies" partner (六合). The Ox is its opposite (冲, clash).

Is 2027 a good year for the Goat?

2027 is the Goat's own year (本命年). Tradition says it is a year of change that calls for a little extra care, not a bad year. The customary response is to wear red and keep things steady. It is a tradition to enjoy, not a forecast.

Why do Goats wear red in their zodiac year?

Red is the color of protection and celebration in Chinese culture. In your 本命年 you are said to "meet" Tai Sui (太岁), the year's ruling deity, and red clothing, a red string or a red belt is the traditional way to keep the year smooth.

What element is a 1991 Goat?

1991 is a 辛未 year, so people born in it (from Feb 15, 1991) are Metal Goats. Each element returns every 60 years; the table above lists all of them.

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