Chinese Zodiac Years
1990 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Horse
Born in 1990? Your Chinese zodiac animal is most likely the Horse, but check the date: the 1990 Metal Horse year began on 27 January 1990. Here is everything about the year, from its element to its lucky colors and best matches.
1990: a Yang Metal Horse year
The Chinese zodiac year 1990 was the Year of the Horse. It began with Lunar New Year on 27 January 1990 and ended on 14 February 1991, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.
Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 1990 ends in 0, which makes it a Metal year, and as an even year it is Yang. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 1990 is a Geng-wu year. The same Metal Horse combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1930 before it and 2050 after it.
Born in January or February 1990?
Lunar New Year 1990 fell on 27 January 1990. Anyone born from 1 January 1990 up to the day before belongs to the previous year's animal, the Snake; from 27 January 1990 on, the Horse.
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 Horse's personality
Our Horse guide describes the sign like this: “Energetic, independent, and adventurous. Horses love freedom and new experiences.” The usual watch-out: “Can be impatient or struggle to commit long-term.”
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 Horse page.
Careers often linked with the Horse: travel, sales, sports, media.
Lucky colors, numbers and days for the Horse
- Lucky colors: yellow, green and purple
- Lucky numbers: 2, 3 and 7
- Lucky days: Monday and Wednesday
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 1990
In traditional compatibility, the Horse's best matches are the Tiger, Goat and Dog, and its clash sign is the Rat, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac circle. Our compatibility calculator compares two full birth dates, elements included.
The Horse in 2026 and 2027
2026 (Fire Horse, until 5 February 2027): for the Horse, 2026 is a Horse year, so Horse people are in their own year (ben ming nian) until 5 February 2027.
2027 (Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027): for the Horse, it is listed as a supportive match of the Goat, so 2027 is traditionally a friendly year. See Chinese zodiac 2027 predictions for every sign.
Other Year of the Horse years
Years of the same animal come every twelve years, each with a different element: 1966 (Fire Horse); 1978 (Earth Horse); 2002 (Water Horse); 2014 (Wood Horse). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 1990?
1990 is the Year of the Horse, a Yang Metal Horse year (Geng-wu).
When does the 1990 Year of the Horse start and end?
It starts on 27 January 1990 and ends on 14 February 1991.
I was born in January 1990. What is my Chinese zodiac?
If you were born before 27 January 1990, you are a Snake; from 27 January 1990 on, a Horse.
What element is 1990?
Metal. 1990 ends in 0, which belongs to Metal, and it is a Yang year.
Who is the Horse compatible with?
Traditionally the Tiger, Goat and Dog. The Horse's clash sign is the Rat.
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 Horse · Born in January? · Zodiac sign checker
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