Chinese Zodiac Years
1998 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Tiger
Born in 1998? Your Chinese zodiac animal is most likely the Tiger, but check the date: the 1998 Earth Tiger year began on 28 January 1998. Here is everything about the year, from its element to its lucky colors and best matches.
1998: a Yang Earth Tiger year
The Chinese zodiac year 1998 was the Year of the Tiger. It began with Lunar New Year on 28 January 1998 and ended on 15 February 1999, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.
Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 1998 ends in 8, which makes it an Earth year, and as an even year it is Yang. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 1998 is a Wu-yin year. The same Earth Tiger combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1938 before it and 2058 after it.
Born in January or February 1998?
Lunar New Year 1998 fell on 28 January 1998. Anyone born from 1 January 1998 up to the day before belongs to the previous year's animal, the Ox; from 28 January 1998 on, the Tiger.
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 Tiger's personality
Our Tiger guide describes the sign like this: “Brave, confident, and competitive. Tigers are natural leaders who act decisively.” The usual watch-out: “Can be impulsive or impatient with slower-moving people.”
The Earth element adds its own flavour. Earth years bring stability, practicality, and patience. People of this element tend to be dependable, grounded, and good at long-term planning. Read more in our Earth element guide, or the full Year of the Tiger page.
Careers often linked with the Tiger: entrepreneurship, sports, law, management.
Lucky colors, numbers and days for the Tiger
- Lucky colors: blue, gray and orange
- Lucky numbers: 1, 3 and 4
- Lucky days: Tuesday 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 1998
In traditional compatibility, the Tiger's best matches are the Horse, Dog and Pig, and its clash sign is the Monkey, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac circle. Our compatibility calculator compares two full birth dates, elements included.
The Tiger in 2026 and 2027
2026 (Fire Horse, until 5 February 2027): for the Tiger, it shares the Horse's triangle, so 2026 is traditionally one of its friendlier years.
2027 (Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027): for the Tiger, 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 Tiger years
Years of the same animal come every twelve years, each with a different element: 1974 (Wood Tiger); 1986 (Fire Tiger); 2010 (Metal Tiger); 2022 (Water Tiger). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 1998?
1998 is the Year of the Tiger, a Yang Earth Tiger year (Wu-yin).
When does the 1998 Year of the Tiger start and end?
It starts on 28 January 1998 and ends on 15 February 1999.
I was born in January 1998. What is my Chinese zodiac?
If you were born before 28 January 1998, you are a Ox; from 28 January 1998 on, a Tiger.
What element is 1998?
Earth. 1998 ends in 8, which belongs to Earth, and it is a Yang year.
Who is the Tiger compatible with?
Traditionally the Horse, Dog and Pig. The Tiger's clash sign is the Monkey.
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 Tiger · Born in January? · Zodiac sign checker
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