Year of the Tiger —
the bold first mover
| Tiger years | 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034 |
|---|---|
| Most recent | 2022 (Water Tiger) |
| Next Tiger year | 2034 (Wood Tiger) |
| Branch · element | 寅 Yin · Yang Wood |
| Best matches | Horse, Pig, Dog |
| Hardest matches | Monkey, Rooster |
| In 2027 | 80/100 — a favorable year |
Tigers see the big picture and move first. They are generous and exciting to be around, and sometimes leave the clean-up to someone else.
Tiger years
Each Tiger 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Fire Tiger 丙寅 | Feb 13, 1926 – Feb 1, 1927 |
| 1938 | Earth Tiger 戊寅 | Jan 31, 1938 – Feb 18, 1939 |
| 1950 | Metal Tiger 庚寅 | Feb 17, 1950 – Feb 5, 1951 |
| 1962 | Water Tiger 壬寅 | Feb 5, 1962 – Jan 24, 1963 |
| 1974 | Wood Tiger 甲寅 | Jan 23, 1974 – Feb 10, 1975 |
| 1986 | Fire Tiger 丙寅 | Feb 9, 1986 – Jan 28, 1987 |
| 1998 | Earth Tiger 戊寅 | Jan 28, 1998 – Feb 15, 1999 |
| 2010 | Metal Tiger 庚寅 | Feb 14, 2010 – Feb 2, 2011 |
| 2022 | Water Tiger 壬寅 | Feb 1, 2022 – Jan 21, 2023 |
Personality
Strengths: the courage to start what others only discuss; natural authority; protectiveness toward the people they lead.
Challenges: impatience; pride that turns small conflicts into big ones; boredom with routine.
In love. Tigers court openly and like to lead. They are loyal and passionate, but feeling controlled will make them bolt.
At work. Tigers thrive when they can pioneer — founding, leading, selling a vision. Repetitive work drains them fast.
The five Tigers
The year’s heavenly stem adds one of five elements, so a 1986 Tiger and a 1998 one are not quite the same animal.
- Wood Tiger1974
The Wood Tiger is the most cooperative Tiger: idealistic, sociable and good at bringing people along. - Fire Tiger1926, 1986
The Fire Tiger is pure momentum — charismatic, dramatic and happiest in the middle of the action. - Earth Tiger1938, 1998
The Earth Tiger is the grounded Tiger, pairing courage with realism and a longer attention span. - Metal Tiger1950, 2010
The Metal Tiger is fiercely independent and competitive, direct to the point of bluntness. - Water Tiger1962, 2022
The Water Tiger is the calmest Tiger: perceptive, open-minded and able to wait for the right moment.
Best and worst matches
Best: Horse (84), Pig (81), Dog (72). Hardest: Monkey (25), Rooster (42).
| With | Score | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Horse 午 | 84 | A strong match Natural allies |
| Pig 亥 | 81 | A strong match Secret friends |
| Dog 戌 | 72 | A comfortable match Natural allies |
| Rabbit 卯 | 71 | A comfortable match Same season |
| Rat 子 | 66 | A comfortable match Neutral |
| Tiger & Tiger 寅 | 65 | A comfortable match Same sign |
| Dragon 辰 | 62 | A comfortable match Same season |
| Ox 丑 | 54 | Needs work Neutral |
| Goat 未 | 54 | Needs work Neutral |
| Snake 巳 | 45 | A clashing pair Friction |
| Rooster 酉 | 42 | A clashing pair Quiet resentment |
| Monkey 申 | 25 | A clashing pair Opposites |
Element associations
The Tiger’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 Tiger in 2027
The Year of the Fire Goat gives the Tiger 80/100 — a favorable year (neutral with the goat). Read the Tiger’s 2027 horoscope → · Month by month for the Tiger
Questions about the Tiger
What years are the Year of the Tiger?
1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 and 2034. Each Tiger 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 Tiger?
2034 — the Wood Tiger. The most recent was 2022, the Water Tiger.
What is the Tiger most compatible with?
The Tiger’s best matches are the Horse (84/100), the Pig (81/100) and the Dog (72/100); the hardest are the Monkey (25) and the Rooster (42).
What element is the Tiger?
The Tiger’s branch 寅 carries Wood, which it keeps every year. The year’s stem adds a second element, so there are five kinds of Tiger: Wood Tiger, Fire Tiger, Earth Tiger, Metal Tiger, Water Tiger.
Korean: 호랑이띠 · 호랑이띠 궁합 · 2027년 호랑이띠 운세 · All signs: Rat · Ox · Tiger · Rabbit · Dragon · Snake · Horse · Goat · Monkey · Rooster · Dog · Pig
