Chinese Zodiac Years
1991 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Goat
Born in 1991? Your Chinese zodiac animal is most likely the Goat, but check the date: the 1991 Metal Goat year began on 15 February 1991. Here is everything about the year, from its element to its lucky colors and best matches.
1991: a Yin Metal Goat year
The Chinese zodiac year 1991 was the Year of the Goat. It began with Lunar New Year on 15 February 1991 and ended on 3 February 1992, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.
Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 1991 ends in 1, which makes it a Metal year, and as an odd year it is Yin. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 1991 is a Xin-wei year. The same Metal Goat combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1931 before it and 2051 after it.
Born in January or February 1991?
Lunar New Year 1991 fell on 15 February 1991, so everyone born in January 1991, and in February before that date, belongs to the previous year's animal, 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 Goat's personality
Our Goat guide describes the sign like this: “Gentle, creative, and compassionate. Goats have a strong artistic sensibility and care deeply for others.” The usual watch-out: “Can be indecisive or overly dependent on 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 Goat page.
Careers often linked with the Goat: art, design, counseling, nonprofit work.
Lucky colors, numbers and days for the Goat
- Lucky colors: green, red and purple
- Lucky numbers: 2 and 7
- Lucky days: Friday and Sunday
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 1991
In traditional compatibility, the Goat's best matches are the Rabbit, Horse and Pig, and its clash sign is the Ox, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac circle. Our compatibility calculator compares two full birth dates, elements included.
The Goat in 2026 and 2027
2026 (Fire Horse, until 5 February 2027): for the Goat, it is listed as a supportive match of the Horse, so 2026 is traditionally a friendly year.
2027 (Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027): for the Goat, 2027 is a Goat year, so Goat people are in their own year (ben ming nian). See Chinese zodiac 2027 predictions for every sign.
Other Year of the Goat years
Years of the same animal come every twelve years, each with a different element: 1967 (Fire Goat); 1979 (Earth Goat); 2003 (Water Goat); 2015 (Wood Goat). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 1991?
1991 is the Year of the Goat, a Yin Metal Goat year (Xin-wei).
When does the 1991 Year of the Goat start and end?
It starts on 15 February 1991 and ends on 3 February 1992.
I was born in January 1991. What is my Chinese zodiac?
A Horse: Lunar New Year 1991 was on 15 February 1991, so all of January 1991 belongs to the Horse year.
What element is 1991?
Metal. 1991 ends in 1, which belongs to Metal, and it is a Yin year.
Who is the Goat compatible with?
Traditionally the Rabbit, Horse and Pig. The Goat's clash sign is the Ox.
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 Goat · Born in January? · Zodiac sign checker
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