1949 Chinese zodiac —
the Earth Ox
| Animal sign | Ox 丑 — the Earth Ox |
|---|---|
| Element | Yin Earth (己) |
| 1949 Ox year | Jan 29, 1949 – Feb 16, 1950 |
| Born Jan 1 – Jan 28, 1949 | Earth Rat of 1948 |
| Korean saju year | Starts at Ipchun, Feb 4, 1949 |
| Best matches | Rat, Snake, Rooster |
| Next Ox year | 2033 (Water Ox) |
| Age in 2026 | 77 (Korean age 78) |
People born between Jan 29, 1949 and Feb 16, 1950 are an Earth Ox. The Earth Ox is immovable in the best sense — dependable, frugal and content with slow progress that lasts.
Born in January or early February 1949?
The 1949 Ox year began at Chinese New Year on Jan 29, 1949. If you were born from January 1 to Jan 28, 1949, your sign is the Earth Rat of 1948. The year ended on Feb 16, 1950, so birthdays in early 1950 up to that date still count as Oxen.
The Korean saju year starts at Ipchun
In Korean saju (the Four Pillars), the year pillar changes at Ipchun, the start of spring — Feb 4, 1949 at about 12:30 Korea time — not at Lunar New Year. A birthday from Jan 29 to Feb 3, 1949 is already an Ox by Lunar New Year but still 戊子 (Earth Rat) in a saju chart. Why saju starts the year at Ipchun →
The Earth Ox personality
The Earth Ox is immovable in the best sense — dependable, frugal and content with slow progress that lasts. Both the year stem and the Ox’s own branch are Earth, so the Earth character is doubled this year. Earth brings steadiness, patience and practical sense.
Oxen trust actions over words and finishing over speed. Once they decide, they keep going long after others have stopped. Strengths: reliability people can build on; patience with slow, hard work; calm under pressure. Watch for: stubbornness once a view is set; slowness to adapt; difficulty putting feelings into words.
Compatibility
Best matches for the Ox: Rat (84/100), Snake (84/100), Rooster (84/100). Hardest: Goat (29), Horse (45). All twelve Ox matches →
Age
People born in the 1949 Ox year turn 77 in 2026 (78 in Korean age) and 78 in 2027. The same Earth Ox returns every sixty years — 2009.
Ox years
1925 Wood · 1937 Fire · 1949 Earth · 1961 Metal · 1973 Water · 1985 Wood · 1997 Fire · 2009 Earth · 2021 Metal
The Ox in 2027
The Year of the Fire Goat gives the Ox 60/100 — a year for care. Read the 2027 forecast →
Questions about the 1949 zodiac
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1949?
1949 is the Year of the Ox — the Earth Ox (己丑). The Ox year runs from Jan 29, 1949 to Feb 16, 1950: it starts at Chinese New Year, not on January 1.
Is someone born in January 1949 an Ox?
Only if the birthday falls on or after Jan 29, 1949, when the Ox year began. From January 1 to Jan 28, 1949, the sign is still the Earth Rat of 1948.
What element is the 1949 Ox?
Earth. The year stem 己 is yin earth, so everyone born in the 1949 Ox year is an Earth Ox. Earth brings steadiness, patience and practical sense.
When is the next Year of the Ox?
2033 — the Water Ox. The Earth Ox itself comes back every sixty years — 2009.
Who is the Ox most compatible with?
The Ox’s best matches are the Rat (84/100), the Snake (84/100) and the Rooster (84/100); the hardest are the Goat (29) and the Horse (45).
Nearby years
← 1948 Earth Rat · 1950 Metal Tiger → · All years and the calculator
