Year of the Rabbit —
the gentle diplomat
| Rabbit years | 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035 |
|---|---|
| Most recent | 2023 (Water Rabbit) |
| Next Rabbit year | 2035 (Wood Rabbit) |
| Branch · element | 卯 Mao · Yin Wood |
| Best matches | Pig, Dog, Goat |
| Hardest matches | Rooster, Monkey |
| In 2027 | 91/100 — an excellent year |
Rabbits read the mood and put people at ease. They avoid open conflict, but under the softness is a firm sense of what they will and won’t accept.
Rabbit years
Each Rabbit year starts at Chinese New Year, so January and early-February birthdays belong to the sign before. The dates below are the Chinese calendar (UTC+8).
| Year | Sign | From – to |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Fire Rabbit 丁卯 | Feb 2, 1927 – Jan 22, 1928 |
| 1939 | Earth Rabbit 己卯 | Feb 19, 1939 – Feb 7, 1940 |
| 1951 | Metal Rabbit 辛卯 | Feb 6, 1951 – Jan 26, 1952 |
| 1963 | Water Rabbit 癸卯 | Jan 25, 1963 – Feb 12, 1964 |
| 1975 | Wood Rabbit 乙卯 | Feb 11, 1975 – Jan 30, 1976 |
| 1987 | Fire Rabbit 丁卯 | Jan 29, 1987 – Feb 16, 1988 |
| 1999 | Earth Rabbit 己卯 | Feb 16, 1999 – Feb 4, 2000 |
| 2011 | Metal Rabbit 辛卯 | Feb 3, 2011 – Jan 22, 2012 |
| 2023 | Water Rabbit 癸卯 | Jan 22, 2023 – Feb 9, 2024 |
Personality
Strengths: tact and emotional intelligence; good taste and a polished finish; a talent for keeping the peace.
Challenges: difficulty saying no; indecision; retreating instead of raising a problem.
In love. Rabbits are affectionate and attentive, but they take time to open up completely. A calm, kind partner earns their full trust.
At work. Rabbits excel where people and polish meet — design, hospitality, counseling, diplomacy and client work.
The five Rabbits
The year’s heavenly stem adds one of five elements, so a 1987 Rabbit and a 1999 one are not quite the same animal.
- Wood Rabbit1975
The Wood Rabbit is kind, artistic and so eager for harmony that they sometimes give away too much ground. - Fire Rabbit1927, 1987
The Fire Rabbit is warmer and more outgoing, with a flair for expression and a quick temper they rarely show. - Earth Rabbit1939, 1999
The Earth Rabbit is practical and self-possessed, the Rabbit most likely to build lasting security. - Metal Rabbit1951, 2011
The Metal Rabbit is the most resolute: refined, ambitious and far tougher than first impressions suggest. - Water Rabbit1963, 2023
The Water Rabbit is sensitive and intuitive, empathetic enough to feel other people’s moods as their own.
Best and worst matches
Best: Pig (84), Dog (76), Goat (72). Hardest: Rooster (32), Monkey (42).
| With | Score | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Pig 亥 | 84 | A strong match Natural allies |
| Dog 戌 | 76 | A strong match Secret friends |
| Goat 未 | 72 | A comfortable match Natural allies |
| Tiger 寅 | 71 | A comfortable match Same season |
| Snake 巳 | 66 | A comfortable match Neutral |
| Rabbit & Rabbit 卯 | 65 | A comfortable match Same sign |
| Horse 午 | 59 | Needs work Break |
| Rat 子 | 54 | Needs work Friction |
| Ox 丑 | 54 | Needs work Neutral |
| Dragon 辰 | 53 | Needs work Same season |
| Monkey 申 | 42 | A clashing pair Quiet resentment |
| Rooster 酉 | 32 | A clashing pair Opposites |
Element associations
The Rabbit’s branch carries Wood (木) — growth, generosity and a long view. In Korean tradition, Wood goes with green and teal, the east, and the numbers 3 and 8.
Beyond the year animal
Your animal sign is one of eight characters in a Korean saju chart, and not the one that describes you most closely. That job belongs to the Day Master, the stem of your birth day: ten natures from the Tall Pine to the Morning Dew. What saju is explains how the eight fit together.
The Rabbit in 2027
The Year of the Fire Goat gives the Rabbit 91/100 — an excellent year (wood trine with the goat). Read the Rabbit’s 2027 horoscope → · Month by month for the Rabbit
Questions about the Rabbit
What years are the Year of the Rabbit?
1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 and 2035. Each Rabbit year starts at Chinese New Year, between January 21 and February 20, so a birthday early in one of those years can still belong to the sign before.
When is the next Year of the Rabbit?
2035 — the Wood Rabbit. The most recent was 2023, the Water Rabbit.
What is the Rabbit most compatible with?
The Rabbit’s best matches are the Pig (84/100), the Dog (76/100) and the Goat (72/100); the hardest are the Rooster (32) and the Monkey (42).
What element is the Rabbit?
The Rabbit’s branch 卯 carries Wood, which it keeps every year. The year’s stem adds a second element, so there are five kinds of Rabbit: Wood Rabbit, Fire Rabbit, Earth Rabbit, Metal Rabbit, Water Rabbit.
Korean: 토끼띠 · 토끼띠 궁합 · 2027년 토끼띠 운세 · All signs: Rat · Ox · Tiger · Rabbit · Dragon · Snake · Horse · Goat · Monkey · Rooster · Dog · Pig
