Chinese zodiac
The Tiger in the Chinese zodiac
The Tiger is the 3rd animal of the Chinese zodiac, a yang sign whose fixed element is Wood. Tradition associates it with being brave, competitive and magnetic — the animal of bold beginnings. Tiger years include 1986 (Fire), 1998 (Earth), 2010 (Metal), 2022 (Water).
| Order | 3 of 12 |
|---|---|
| Earthly branch | Yin 寅 |
| Chinese character | 虎 |
| Fixed element | Wood |
| Polarity | Yang |
| Best matches (San He trine) | Horse and Dog |
| Secret friend (Liu He) | Pig |
| Clash (Chong) | Monkey |
| Harm (Liu Hai) | Snake |
| Solar month | about 4 February – 5 March |
| Double-hour | 03:00 – 05:00 |
Each year's element comes from its heavenly stem, so a Tiger year is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water in turn and the same combination returns every sixty years. The start dates above are computed from the Sun's position: Li Chun is the moment it reaches 315° of ecliptic longitude.
A year does not begin on 1 January. The popular zodiac changes at Chinese New Year (between 21 January and 20 February); BaZi changes it at Li Chun, the start of spring, around 4 February. Anyone born in January or early February belongs to the previous year's animal.
In compatibility, the Tiger forms a San He trine with the Horse and Dog, a Liu He pair ("secret friend") with the Pig, clashes (Chong) with the Monkey, the animal six places away, and harms (Liu Hai) the Snake.
The Tiger is also the Yin branch of the day, ruling the double-hour 03:00 – 05:00, and of the solar month that runs from about 4 February to 5 March. In a BaZi chart it can appear in any of the four pillars — year, month, day or hour — not only the year.
| Year | Element | Begins (Li Chun, Beijing time) |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Yang Earth | 4 Feb, 19:15 |
| 1950 | Yang Metal | 4 Feb, 17:21 |
| 1962 | Yang Water | 4 Feb, 15:17 |
| 1974 | Yang Wood | 4 Feb, 13:00 |
| 1986 | Yang Fire | 4 Feb, 11:08 |
| 1998 | Yang Earth | 4 Feb, 08:57 |
| 2010 | Yang Metal | 4 Feb, 06:48 |
| 2022 | Yang Water | 4 Feb, 04:51 |
Questions
What years are the Year of the Tiger?
1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022. Remember the year starts at Chinese New Year (or Li Chun, around 4 February, in BaZi), not on 1 January.
Who is the Tiger most compatible with?
The Horse and Dog (its San He trine) and the Pig (its Liu He secret friend). Its traditional clash is with the Monkey, and it harms the Snake.
What element is the Tiger?
The Tiger's fixed element is Wood. Each Tiger year also has its own element from the heavenly stem — for example 2022 is a Water Tiger.
What time is the hour of the Tiger?
03:00 – 05:00, the Yin hour. It gives the branch of the hour pillar in BaZi; many practitioners first correct clock time to local solar time.
In Plutto
Plutto reads all four of your animals — year, month, day and hour — in your BaZi chart. Background: Chinese astrology (BaZi).
Ask it something you actually want to know.