1973 Chinese zodiac —
the Water Ox
| Animal sign | Ox 丑 — the Water Ox |
|---|---|
| Element | Yin Water (癸) |
| 1973 Ox year | Feb 3, 1973 – Jan 22, 1974 |
| Born Jan 1 – Feb 2, 1973 | Water Rat of 1972 |
| Korean saju year | Starts at Ipchun, Feb 4, 1973 |
| Best matches | Rat, Snake, Rooster |
| Next Ox year | 2033 (Water Ox) |
| Age in 2026 | 53 (Korean age 54) |
People born between Feb 3, 1973 and Jan 22, 1974 are a Water Ox. The Water Ox is the most thoughtful Ox: patient, observant and more emotionally attuned than they let on.
Born in January or early February 1973?
The 1973 Ox year began at Chinese New Year on Feb 3, 1973. If you were born from January 1 to Feb 2, 1973, your sign is the Water Rat of 1972. The year ended on Jan 22, 1974, so birthdays in early 1974 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, 1973 at about 08:08 Korea time — not at Lunar New Year. A birthday from Feb 3 to Feb 3, 1973 is already an Ox by Lunar New Year but still 壬子 (Water Rat) in a saju chart. Why saju starts the year at Ipchun →
The Water Ox personality
The Water Ox is the most thoughtful Ox: patient, observant and more emotionally attuned than they let on. Water brings intuition, adaptability and depth.
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 1973 Ox year turn 53 in 2026 (54 in Korean age) and 54 in 2027. The same Water Ox returns every sixty years — 1913 and 2033.
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 1973 zodiac
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1973?
1973 is the Year of the Ox — the Water Ox (癸丑). The Ox year runs from Feb 3, 1973 to Jan 22, 1974: it starts at Chinese New Year, not on January 1.
Is someone born in January 1973 an Ox?
Only if the birthday falls on or after Feb 3, 1973, when the Ox year began. From January 1 to Feb 2, 1973, the sign is still the Water Rat of 1972.
What element is the 1973 Ox?
Water. The year stem 癸 is yin water, so everyone born in the 1973 Ox year is a Water Ox. Water brings intuition, adaptability and depth.
When is the next Year of the Ox?
2033 — the Water Ox. The Water Ox itself comes back every sixty years — 1913 and 2033.
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
← 1972 Water Rat · 1974 Wood Tiger → · All years and the calculator
