Chinese zodiac · all 12 animals
2033 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Ox
癸丑年 Water Ox, yin (阴)
Exact dates, who counts as an Ox, the element and matches.
The answer
2033 is the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac: an Water Ox year, 癸丑 (guǐ chǒu) in the 60-year cycle. It runs from 31 January 2033 to 18 February 2034, so people born from 1 January to 30 January 2033 belong to the previous animal, the Rat.
2033 at a glance
- Animal
- Ox 牛 (niú), second of the 12
- Element
- Water 水, yin (阴), from the stem 癸 (guǐ)
- 60-year cycle
- 癸丑 guǐ chǒu · the same Water Ox year was 1973 and comes again in 2093
- Starts
- Monday, 31 January 2033 (Chinese New Year)
- Ends
- Saturday, 18 February 2034 · the Year of the Tiger begins the next day
- Lichun
- 3 February 2033 · the solar-term start of spring, used as the year boundary by some almanacs
- 本命年
- Children born in 2033 have their first 本命年 (own zodiac year) in 2045, then 2057
- Best matches
- Snake and Rooster (三合 trine), Rat (六合 pair) · clashes with the Goat
Born in 2033? Check the date first
The zodiac follows the lunar year, not the Western calendar year. In 2033 the cut-off was 31 January 2033.
| Born | Zodiac animal | Element | Cycle year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan – 30 Jan 2033 2033 | Rat 鼠 | Water | 壬子 |
| 31 Jan 2033 – 31 Dec 2033 | Ox 牛 | Water | 癸丑 |
| 1 Jan 2034 – 18 Feb 2034 | Ox 牛 (still) | Water | 癸丑 |
Some almanacs and Chinese astrologers use Lichun (3 February 2033 in 2033) as the boundary instead, which can move a few days of January or February births to the other animal. The Lunar New Year rule is the everyday one. Not sure? Use the Chinese zodiac calculator.
What the Ox means
Tradition calls Ox people diligent, dependable and patient, and pairs them best with the Snake and Rooster. The element adds a layer: a Water Ox is read differently from a Wood Ox. In daily life in China the sign matters most for 本命年 and for New Year decorations, stamps and gifts in Ox years. Read the full Year of the Ox guide for the traits, matches and the stories behind the animal.
Other Years of the Ox
The Ox returns every 12 years; the element changes each time, so the Water Ox itself comes round only every 60.
| Year | Element and animal | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Water Ox 水牛 · 癸丑 | 3 Feb 1973 | 22 Jan 1974 |
| 1985 | Wood Ox 木牛 · 乙丑 | 20 Feb 1985 | 8 Feb 1986 |
| 1997 | Fire Ox 火牛 · 丁丑 | 7 Feb 1997 | 27 Jan 1998 |
| 2009 | Earth Ox 土牛 · 己丑 | 26 Jan 2009 | 13 Feb 2010 |
| 2021 | Metal Ox 金牛 · 辛丑 | 12 Feb 2021 | 31 Jan 2022 |
| 2033 | Water Ox 水牛 · 癸丑 | 31 Jan 2033 | 18 Feb 2034 |
| 2045 | Wood Ox 木牛 · 乙丑 | 17 Feb 2045 | 5 Feb 2046 |
| 2057 | Fire Ox 火牛 · 丁丑 | 4 Feb 2057 | 23 Jan 2058 |
| 2069 | Earth Ox 土牛 · 己丑 | 23 Jan 2069 | 10 Feb 2070 |
| 2081 | Metal Ox 金牛 · 辛丑 | 9 Feb 2081 | 28 Jan 2082 |
| 2093 | Water Ox 水牛 · 癸丑 | 27 Jan 2093 | 14 Feb 2094 |
Matches for people born in 2033
Traditional compatibility pairs the 12 animals on a wheel: the three animals four places apart form a 三合 (sānhé) trine, each animal has one 六合 (liùhé) partner, and the animal opposite is its 六冲 (liùchōng) clash. These are folk rules used in match-making and in choosing wedding dates, not predictions.
Festival dates in 2033
Western dates for the main Chinese festivals in 2033. The full year, with lunar months and solar terms, is on the Chinese calendar 2033 page.
- Chinese New Year
- 31 January 2033 春节
- Lantern Festival
- 14 February 2033 元宵节
- Qingming Festival
- 4 April 2033 清明节
- Dragon Boat Festival
- 1 June 2033 端午节
- Mid-Autumn Festival
- 8 September 2033 中秋节
- Chinese New Year’s Eve
- 30 January 2033 除夕
Questions readers ask
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2033?
2033 is the Year of the Ox (牛, niú). In the full 60-year cycle it is 癸丑, an Water Ox year, yin (阴). It began on 31 January 2033 and ended on 18 February 2034; 2034 is the Year of the Tiger.
I was born in January or February 2033. What is my Chinese zodiac sign?
It depends on the exact date. The Year of the Ox started on 31 January 2033. Born on or after that date, you are an Ox; born between 1 January and 30 January 2033, you are a Rat. Some Chinese almanacs and astrologers start the year at Lichun (立春, start of spring) instead, which fell on 3 February 2033 in 2033; the Lunar New Year rule is the one most people in China use.
What element is 2033 in the Chinese zodiac?
Water (水, shuǐ). The element comes from the heavenly stem 癸 (guǐ), which also makes 2033 a yin (阴) year. The same animal returns every 12 years, but the same element and animal together, the Water Ox, return only every 60 years: the previous one was 1973 and the next is 2093.
When is the next Year of the Ox?
2045, starting on 17 February 2045. For someone born in 2033 that is a 本命年 (běnmìngnián), their own zodiac year, which tradition treats as a year to be careful in; many people wear something red for it.
Tools
Sources
- Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar calendar conversion tables, 1901–2100 (Lunar New Year dates) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chinese zodiac (animals, stems and the 60-year cycle) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- China Daily, What is benmingnian? (2 January 2024, in Chinese) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
Update log. 31 October 2026 — published. Lunar New Year and Lichun dates computed in Beijing time and checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables; births from the National Bureau of Statistics annual series. Suggest a correction
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