(1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024)
The Chinese year of the Dragon is the fifth year of the 12 year cycle of Chinese Zodiac animals. The old Chinese story behind this was that the Jade emperor ordered the race to select the 12 animals that were to be his personal guards.
Year of the Dragon people are born in 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 so if you’re a Dragon, read on for a few more details!
Dragon Personality
Bill was born in the year of the goat so read on and get to know what he is like from the eyes of the Chinese Zodiac!
This sign is an auspicious one, as dragons are seen as intelligent and bold self-starters with big ambitions. They’re passionate about their goals and have the self-reliance, smarts, and charm to win over people, succeed at business dealings, and in general enjoy life!
Unsurprisingly, they can sometimes get hamstrung by their own egos, and will do what’s necessary to remain on top. Dragon leaders make for tough bosses, as they’re good at giving orders, and will hold people accountable to big results!
Look for: Monkey or Rooster, but Rat, Tiger, or Snake are best
Be careful around: Ox, Goat, Dog
Chinese Zodiac Elements
Chinese astrology assigns each zodiac year with one of the five elements (Gold, Water, Wood, Earth, and Fire) with each element assigned to a zodiac animal year that recycles every 60 years. The 12-year cycle for each element starts with a year of the Rat and continues through the 12 zodiac animal years.
The next year of the Dragon will be 2024 in the metal cycle.
| Element | 12-Year Cycle |
| Wood | 1924–35 |
| Fire | 1936–47 |
| Earth | 1948–59 |
| Metal | 1960–71 |
| Water | 1972–83 |
| Wood | 1984–95 |
| Fire | 1996–2007 |
| Earth | 2008–19 |
| Metal | 2020–31 |
| Water | 2032–43 |
Each Zodiac sign is also assigned a fixed element and Earth is the fixed element for any year of the Dragon as well as for any year of the Ox, Goat, and the Dog.
For more detailed information on Chinese elements, see this article on The Chinese Five Elements.
Full Zodiac Animal chart
Below is the full spectrum of Chinese zodiac animals. Click on the image to look up your own sign by birth year and read more about how Judy, Sarah and Kaitlin rediscovered their Chinese Zodiac signs in Hong Kong.
If you’re looking to shower your family and friends with well-wishes and greetings or at least understand them, check out 23 of the most common Chinese New Year greetings in both Mandarin and Cantonese.
Don’t forget to visit our Chinese New Year recipe planning guide to plan your own celebration meal.
