2009 Chinese zodiac —
the Earth Ox
| Animal sign | Ox 丑 — the Earth Ox |
|---|---|
| Element | Yin Earth (己) |
| 2009 Ox year | Jan 26, 2009 – Feb 13, 2010 |
| Born Jan 1 – Jan 25, 2009 | Earth Rat of 2008 |
| Korean saju year | Starts at Ipchun, Feb 4, 2009 |
| Best matches | Rat, Snake, Rooster |
| Next Ox year | 2033 (Water Ox) |
| Age in 2026 | 17 (Korean age 18) |
People born between Jan 26, 2009 and Feb 13, 2010 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 2009?
The 2009 Ox year began at Chinese New Year on Jan 26, 2009. If you were born from January 1 to Jan 25, 2009, your sign is the Earth Rat of 2008. The year ended on Feb 13, 2010, so birthdays in early 2010 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, 2009 at about 01:50 Korea time — not at Lunar New Year. A birthday from Jan 26 to Feb 3, 2009 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 2009 Ox year turn 17 in 2026 (18 in Korean age) and 18 in 2027. The same Earth Ox returns every sixty years — 1949 and 2069.
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 2009 zodiac
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2009?
2009 is the Year of the Ox — the Earth Ox (己丑). The Ox year runs from Jan 26, 2009 to Feb 13, 2010: it starts at Chinese New Year, not on January 1.
Is someone born in January 2009 an Ox?
Only if the birthday falls on or after Jan 26, 2009, when the Ox year began. From January 1 to Jan 25, 2009, the sign is still the Earth Rat of 2008.
What element is the 2009 Ox?
Earth. The year stem 己 is yin earth, so everyone born in the 2009 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 — 1949 and 2069.
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
← 2008 Earth Rat · 2010 Metal Tiger → · All years and the calculator
