Year of the Ox 丑
Yin Earth branch · Steady · dependable · quietly strong
Slow, steady, never quits.
Ox years are linked to patience and quiet strength — you may build slowly and finish what others abandon. People rely on your word; the tradition's caution is stubbornness dressed as principle. People born in Ox years are traditionally read as steady, dependable, built for the long haul.
Which years belong to the Ox?
A zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January. Born in January or early February of a year below, you may belong to the previous animal — the calculator on the Chinese zodiac page uses the true boundary date for your birth year.
- 1937Fire Ox
- 1949Earth Ox
- 1961Metal Ox
- 1973Water Ox
- 1985Wood Ox
- 1997Fire Ox
- 2009Earth Ox
- 2021Metal Ox
The element changes each cycle — a Fire Ox and a Metal Ox share the branch but not the stem, which is why the same animal feels different across generations.
Who does the Ox get along with?
- Trine partners
- Snake and Rooster — the traditional harmony triangle: animals said to run in the same pack, sharing instincts and plans without friction.
- Secret friend
- Rat — the six-harmony pairing: quiet, reliable loyalty rather than fireworks.
- Clash
- Goat — the opposite branch, six places across the wheel. Traditionally read as friction that demands effort, not a verdict on any real pair of people.
Lucky numbers by tradition: 1, 9. These are traditional associations, not predictions — a full match reads all four pillars, not the year animal alone. Run a real match →
Famous Oxs
Verified birth dates from public records — tap any chart to see the whole thing.
- Barack Obama44th President of the United States
- Walt Disney1901
- Margaret ThatcherBritish stateswoman and prime minister
- Albert CamusFrench philosopher, author, and journalist
- Jawaharlal NehruPrime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964
- Enrico FermiItalian–American physicist
- Benjamin NetanyahuPrime Minister of Israel (born 1949),
- Diana, Princess of WalesMember of the British royal family and Princess of Wales
The Ox is one pillar of four
Your year animal is an eighth of a full Chinese chart: BaZi reads a stem and branch for your year, month, day and hour, and the day — not the year — carries your core self.