Chinese Zodiac Years
1981 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Rooster
Born in 1981? Your Chinese zodiac animal is most likely the Rooster, but check the date: the 1981 Metal Rooster year began on 5 February 1981. Here is everything about the year, from its element to its lucky colors and best matches.
1981: a Yin Metal Rooster year
The Chinese zodiac year 1981 was the Year of the Rooster. It began with Lunar New Year on 5 February 1981 and ended on 24 January 1982, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.
Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 1981 ends in 1, which makes it a Metal year, and as an odd year it is Yin. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 1981 is a Xin-you year. The same Metal Rooster combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1921 before it and 2041 after it.
Born in January or February 1981?
Lunar New Year 1981 fell on 5 February 1981, so everyone born in January 1981, and in February before that date, belongs to the previous year's animal, the Monkey.
The zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January, which is why early-year birthdays need checking. Our guide Born in January? explains the rule, and the zodiac sign checker gives the exact answer for any birth date.
The Rooster's personality
Our Rooster guide describes the sign like this: “Observant, hard-working, and confident. Roosters are detail-oriented and take pride in doing things well.” The usual watch-out: “Can be overly critical or blunt with others.”
The Metal element adds its own flavour. Metal years bring discipline, ambition, and strong will. People of this element tend to be determined, independent, and value-driven. Read more in our Metal element guide, or the full Year of the Rooster page.
Careers often linked with the Rooster: accounting, journalism, quality control, public speaking.
Lucky colors, numbers and days for the Rooster
- Lucky colors: gold, brown and yellow
- Lucky numbers: 5, 7 and 8
- Lucky days: Thursday and Saturday
These are the values used across this site. For a lucky color, number and time that change every day, see the daily fortune.
Best matches for someone born in 1981
In traditional compatibility, the Rooster's best matches are the Ox, Snake and Dragon, and its clash sign is the Rabbit, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac circle. Our compatibility calculator compares two full birth dates, elements included.
The Rooster in 2026 and 2027
2026 (Fire Horse, until 5 February 2027): for the Rooster, it has no special traditional relationship with the Horse, so 2026 is a neutral year.
2027 (Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027): for the Rooster, it has no special traditional relationship with the Goat, so 2027 is a neutral year. See Chinese zodiac 2027 predictions for every sign.
Other Year of the Rooster years
Years of the same animal come every twelve years, each with a different element: 1957 (Fire Rooster); 1969 (Earth Rooster); 1993 (Water Rooster); 2005 (Wood Rooster). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 1981?
1981 is the Year of the Rooster, a Yin Metal Rooster year (Xin-you).
When does the 1981 Year of the Rooster start and end?
It starts on 5 February 1981 and ends on 24 January 1982.
I was born in January 1981. What is my Chinese zodiac?
A Monkey: Lunar New Year 1981 was on 5 February 1981, so all of January 1981 belongs to the Monkey year.
What element is 1981?
Metal. 1981 ends in 1, which belongs to Metal, and it is a Yin year.
Who is the Rooster compatible with?
Traditionally the Ox, Snake and Dragon. The Rooster's clash sign is the Rabbit.
Sources and further reading
- Hong Kong Observatory: “Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches” — the 60-part Gan-Zhi cycle used to name years, months, days and hours.
- Wikipedia: “Sexagenary cycle” — the ten stems and twelve branches, 1984 as the start of the present cycle, and the year changing at Lunar New Year.
- Farmers' Almanac: “When Is Lunar New Year 2027?” — Lunar New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, between 21 January and 21 February.
- New World Encyclopedia: “Wu xing” — the five elements and the generating and overcoming cycles.
- Britannica: Chinese zodiac — the zodiac as a classification of years in a repeating twelve-year cycle.
Traditional Chinese zodiac reading for culture and entertainment, not a scientific prediction. Year dates follow the Lunar New Year table used by our zodiac checker.
Explore more: Chinese zodiac years chart · Year of the Rooster · Born in January? · Zodiac sign checker
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