1982 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Dog

1982: a Yang Water Dog year

The Chinese zodiac year 1982 was the Year of the Dog. It began with Lunar New Year on 25 January 1982 and ended on 12 February 1983, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.

Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 1982 ends in 2, which makes it a Water year, and as an even year it is Yang. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 1982 is a Ren-xu year. The same Water Dog combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1922 before it and 2042 after it.

Born in January or February 1982?

Lunar New Year 1982 fell on 25 January 1982. Anyone born from 1 January 1982 up to the day before belongs to the previous year's animal, the Rooster; from 25 January 1982 on, the Dog.

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 Dog's personality

Our Dog guide describes the sign like this: “Loyal, honest, and protective. Dogs are deeply trustworthy and stand up for what they believe in.” The usual watch-out: “Can be anxious or overly suspicious of new situations.”

The Water element adds its own flavour. Water years bring intuition, adaptability, and calm wisdom. People of this element tend to be thoughtful, diplomatic, and perceptive. Read more in our Water element guide, or the full Year of the Dog page.

Careers often linked with the Dog: law, security, social work, education.

Lucky colors, numbers and days for the Dog

• Lucky colors: red, green and purple
• Lucky numbers: 3, 4 and 9
• Lucky days: Monday and Thursday

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 1982

In traditional compatibility, the Dog's best matches are the Tiger, Horse and Rabbit, and its clash sign is the Dragon, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac circle. Our compatibility calculator compares two full birth dates, elements included.

The Dog in 2026 and 2027

2026 (Fire Horse, until 5 February 2027): for the Dog, it shares the Horse's triangle, so 2026 is traditionally one of its friendlier years.

2027 (Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027): for the Dog, 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 Dog years

Years of the same animal come every twelve years, each with a different element: 1958 (Earth Dog); 1970 (Metal Dog); 1994 (Wood Dog); 2006 (Fire Dog). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.

Frequently asked questions

What Chinese zodiac is 1982?

1982 is the Year of the Dog, a Yang Water Dog year (Ren-xu).

When does the 1982 Year of the Dog start and end?

It starts on 25 January 1982 and ends on 12 February 1983.

I was born in January 1982. What is my Chinese zodiac?

If you were born before 25 January 1982, you are a Rooster; from 25 January 1982 on, a Dog.

What element is 1982?

Water. 1982 ends in 2, which belongs to Water, and it is a Yang year.

Who is the Dog compatible with?

Traditionally the Tiger, Horse and Rabbit. The Dog's clash sign is the Dragon.

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.