Chinese astrology basics
What is my Chinese element?
By birth year, the last digit tells you: 0 or 1 is Metal, 2 or 3 is Water, 4 or 5 is Wood, 6 or 7 is Fire, and 8 or 9 is Earth. In BaZi, the element that describes you personally is your day master, the element of the day you were born.
Your element by birth year
| Year ends in | Element | Examples | Yang or Yin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | Metal | 1980, 1991, 2000, 2011 | 0 Yang, 1 Yin |
| 2 or 3 | Water | 1982, 1993, 2002, 2013 | 2 Yang, 3 Yin |
| 4 or 5 | Wood | 1984, 1995, 2004, 2015 | 4 Yang, 5 Yin |
| 6 or 7 | Fire | 1986, 1997, 2006, 2027 | 6 Yang, 7 Yin |
| 8 or 9 | Earth | 1988, 1999, 2008, 2019 | 8 Yang, 9 Yin |
The year changes at Lunar New Year, not on January 1, and Lunar New Year falls between January 21 and February 20. If you were born in that window, check the date for your year: you may belong to the year before. (BaZi changes the year at the Start of Spring, around February 4.) This is the element that goes with your zodiac animal, so 1987 was a Fire Rabbit year and 2027 is a Fire Goat year.
Your element in BaZi: the day master
Everyone born in the same year shares a year element. BaZi, the Chinese Four Pillars, looks closer. It reads a chart of eight characters from your birth year, month, day and hour, and treats the character of your birth day as the one that stands for you. That is your day master, and it is the answer BaZi readers give to "what is my element?"
There are ten day masters, the five elements each in a Yang and a Yin form:
- Yang Wood: the tall tree
- Yin Wood: the vine
- Yang Fire: the sun
- Yin Fire: the lamp
- Yang Earth: the mountain
- Yin Earth: the farmland
- Yang Metal: the blade
- Yin Metal: the jewel
- Yang Water: the ocean
- Yin Water: the rain
Why the two answers differ
Your year element changes once a year; your day master changes every day. Two friends born a week apart in the same year share a year element and have different day masters. A Yang Fire day master can be born in a Water year, and the other way around.
The year element describes the year you arrived in. BaZi reads the day master as you. More on the day master.
How to find your day master
The day master comes from your birth date on the Chinese solar calendar, where the ten heavenly stems take turns, one per day. The conversion is tricky by hand, and the hour can matter if you were born close to midnight. Your free reading does it from your birthday and names your day master on the first page.
Find your day master
Your free reading works out your day master and shaping force from your birthday and shows the five elements in your chart. It takes about two minutes.
Start my free readingQuestions people ask
How do I know my Chinese zodiac element?
Look at the last digit of your birth year: 0–1 Metal, 2–3 Water, 4–5 Wood, 6–7 Fire, 8–9 Earth. If you were born before Lunar New Year, use the year before.
What is the most accurate way to find my element?
In BaZi, it is your day master: the heavenly stem of your birth day. It needs your full birth date, and it is personal in a way the year element is not.
Can I have more than one element?
Yes. A BaZi chart has eight characters, each tied to an element, so most charts mix several: more of some, less of others, and sometimes one missing.
What element is 2027?
Fire. 2027 is a Yin Fire year, the Year of the Fire Goat, starting with Lunar New Year on February 6, 2027.