Our answer
Year of the Tiger 属虎
Third of the 12 zodiac animals
The short answer
The Tiger (虎, hǔ) is the third of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. Tiger years include 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 and 2034, each starting at Lunar New Year. Tradition calls Tiger people brave, confident and competitive, and pairs them best with the Horse and Dog.
| In Chinese | 虎 (hǔ); earthly branch 寅 |
|---|---|
| Place in the cycle | Third of 12 |
| Recent Tiger years | 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 |
| Next Year of the Tiger | 2034, from 19 Feb 2034 |
| Best matches | Horse, Dog, Pig; clashes with the Monkey |
Year of the Tiger: all the years and exact dates
Each Year of the Tiger starts at Lunar New Year, so people born in January or early February belong to the previous animal. Check a birth date with our Chinese zodiac calculator.[1]
| Year | Element and animal | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Metal Tiger (金虎) | 17 Feb 1950 | 5 Feb 1951 |
| 1962 | Water Tiger (水虎) | 5 Feb 1962 | 24 Jan 1963 |
| 1974 | Wood Tiger (木虎) | 23 Jan 1974 | 10 Feb 1975 |
| 1986 | Fire Tiger (火虎) | 9 Feb 1986 | 28 Jan 1987 |
| 1998 | Earth Tiger (土虎) | 28 Jan 1998 | 15 Feb 1999 |
| 2010 | Metal Tiger (金虎) | 14 Feb 2010 | 2 Feb 2011 |
| 2022 | Water Tiger (水虎) | 1 Feb 2022 | 21 Jan 2023 |
Tiger personality: traits tradition gives Tiger people
Folk tradition says people born in a Tiger year are brave, confident and competitive, though sometimes unpredictable. The lists differ from source to source, and there is no scientific evidence that birth year shapes personality.[2][3][4]
Tiger compatibility: best and worst matches
Traditional matching, which some couples in China still take into account, uses three rules.[2][3][5][6]
| Rule | Match for the Tiger | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 三合 (sānhé), trio | Horse and Dog | Animals four years apart; the most harmonious |
| 六合 (liùhé), pair | Pig | A secret friend; a good match |
| 六冲 (liùchōng), clash | Monkey | Six years apart, opposite on the wheel; traditionally avoided |
What the Tiger means in Chinese culture
The Tiger is the “king of the animals” in China, and the stripes on its forehead are read as the character 王 (wáng, king). Because 虎 (hǔ) sounds like 护 (hù, to protect), tigers guard children: tiger-head hats and tiger-faced shoes are traditional gifts for babies.[4][7]
Are Tiger years unlucky for babies?
Some families avoid having children in Tiger years. A study of Singapore over 1960–2007 found births among ethnic Chinese about 7.8% lower in Tiger years, relative to other groups, and 9.3% higher in Dragon years.[8]
How many babies are born in Tiger years in China?
| Tiger year | Births in China | Year before | Year after |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | not published | 16.15 million (2009) | 16.04 million (2011) |
| 2022 | 9.56 million | 10.62 million (2021) | 9.02 million (2023) |
Calendar-year births from China’s National Bureau of Statistics, as first published. A zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, so it overlaps two calendar years.
Questions readers ask
What years are the Year of the Tiger?
Recent Tiger years are 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022; the next is 2034, starting on 19 Feb 2034. Each year starts at Lunar New Year, not 1 January.
What is the Tiger compatible with?
Traditionally the Horse and Dog (its 三合 trio) and the Pig (its 六合 pair). Its clash animal is the Monkey.
Sources
- Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar calendar conversion tables, 1901–2100 · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- China Daily, The 12 Chinese zodiac animals and their best matches (2016), part 2 · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- China Daily, The 12 Chinese zodiac animals and their best matches (2016), part 3 · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- CGTN, The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac: Tiger (January 2020) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia, Chinese zodiac (six harmonies and clashes) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Duke Kunshan University, Lingwei Wu (Fudan): zodiac compatibility and marriage matching in China · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- British Museum, China’s talismanic tigers · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Superstitions on Tiger or Dragon year babies won’t disappear · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2009 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2011 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2021 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2022 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2023 (births) · accessed 31 Oct 2026
Update log. 31 October 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 15 January 2027. Suggest a correction