Year of the Tiger: Chinese Zodiac Tiger Years, Traits and Matches
The short answer
Tiger years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 1 February 2022 to 21 January 2023, and the next begins on 19 February 2034.
Tiger years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 1 February 2022 to 21 January 2023, and the next begins on 19 February 2034.
The Tiger is the zodiac's bold one. Tradition describes Tiger people as brave, confident and competitive, with a strong sense of fairness and a generous streak. They would rather act and apologise later than wait for permission.
Strengths and challenges
Strengths: Brave, Confident, Generous, Protective. Challenges: Impulsive, Rebellious, Quick-tempered, Restless.
The Tiger in love
In love the Tiger is passionate and protective, and needs room to roam. It is drawn to partners with their own spark and does best when admiration runs both ways.
The Tiger at work
At work the Tiger leads from the front. It suits entrepreneurship, advocacy, emergency work and any role that needs someone willing to take the first step.
Best and hardest matches
Traditionally the Tiger works best with the Horse and Dog (its trine) and has a quiet ally in the Pig. Its opposite is the Monkey, the pairing tradition calls a clash.
Every Tiger year, 1924 to 2044
| Year | Element and animal | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Fire Tiger | 13 February 1926 | 1 February 1927 |
| 1938 | Earth Tiger | 31 January 1938 | 18 February 1939 |
| 1950 | Metal Tiger | 17 February 1950 | 5 February 1951 |
| 1962 | Water Tiger | 5 February 1962 | 24 January 1963 |
| 1974 | Wood Tiger | 23 January 1974 | 10 February 1975 |
| 1986 | Fire Tiger | 9 February 1986 | 28 January 1987 |
| 1998 | Earth Tiger | 28 January 1998 | 15 February 1999 |
| 2010 | Metal Tiger | 14 February 2010 | 2 February 2011 |
| 2022 | Water Tiger | 1 February 2022 | 21 January 2023 |
| 2034 | Wood Tiger | 19 February 2034 | 7 February 2035 |
Branch: 寅 Yín · Fixed element: Wood · Yang · Hours: 3am to 5am
How the dates are worked out
Each Chinese New Year here is worked out from the sky, not copied from a list. A lunar month starts on the day of a New Moon in China Standard Time (UTC+8, or Beijing local time before 1929). The month holding the December solstice is the 11th month. When 13 New Moons fall between two of those months, the first month with no principal solar term (the Sun reaching a multiple of 30 degrees) is a leap month. New Year is the first day of the 1st month, which is why it moves between 21 January and 20 February. New Moons and solar terms follow Jean Meeus's Astronomical Algorithms. The rules follow the Chinese calendar.