1961 Chinese zodiac —
the Metal Ox
| Animal sign | Ox 丑 — the Metal Ox |
|---|---|
| Element | Yin Metal (辛) |
| 1961 Ox year | Feb 15, 1961 – Feb 4, 1962 |
| Born Jan 1 – Feb 14, 1961 | Metal Rat of 1960 |
| Korean saju year | Starts at Ipchun, Feb 4, 1961 |
| Best matches | Rat, Snake, Rooster |
| Next Ox year | 2033 (Water Ox) |
| Age in 2026 | 65 (Korean age 66) |
People born between Feb 15, 1961 and Feb 4, 1962 are a Metal Ox. The Metal Ox is determined and exact, a perfectionist who holds themselves to a harder standard than anyone else.
Born in January or early February 1961?
The 1961 Ox year began at Chinese New Year on Feb 15, 1961. If you were born from January 1 to Feb 14, 1961, your sign is the Metal Rat of 1960. The year ended on Feb 4, 1962, so birthdays in early 1962 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, 1961 at about 10:23 Korea time — not at Lunar New Year. A birthday from Feb 4 to Feb 14, 1961 is already 辛丑 (Metal Ox) in a saju chart but still a Rat by Lunar New Year. Why saju starts the year at Ipchun →
The Metal Ox personality
The Metal Ox is determined and exact, a perfectionist who holds themselves to a harder standard than anyone else. Metal brings resolve, standards and clean decisions.
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 1961 Ox year turn 65 in 2026 (66 in Korean age) and 66 in 2027. The same Metal Ox returns every sixty years — 1901 and 2021.
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 1961 zodiac
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1961?
1961 is the Year of the Ox — the Metal Ox (辛丑). The Ox year runs from Feb 15, 1961 to Feb 4, 1962: it starts at Chinese New Year, not on January 1.
Is someone born in January 1961 an Ox?
Only if the birthday falls on or after Feb 15, 1961, when the Ox year began. From January 1 to Feb 14, 1961, the sign is still the Metal Rat of 1960.
What element is the 1961 Ox?
Metal. The year stem 辛 is yin metal, so everyone born in the 1961 Ox year is a Metal Ox. Metal brings resolve, standards and clean decisions.
When is the next Year of the Ox?
2033 — the Water Ox. The Metal Ox itself comes back every sixty years — 1901 and 2021.
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
← 1960 Metal Rat · 1962 Water Tiger → · All years and the calculator
