Chinese Zodiac Years
2018 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Dog
Born in 2018? Your Chinese zodiac animal is most likely the Dog, but check the date: the 2018 Earth Dog year began on 16 February 2018. Here is everything about the year, from its element to its lucky colors and best matches.
2018: a Yang Earth Dog year
The Chinese zodiac year 2018 was the Year of the Dog. It began with Lunar New Year on 16 February 2018 and ended on 4 February 2019, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.
Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 2018 ends in 8, which makes it an Earth year, and as an even year it is Yang. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 2018 is a Wu-xu year. The same Earth Dog combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1958 before it and 2078 after it.
Born in January or February 2018?
Lunar New Year 2018 fell on 16 February 2018, so everyone born in January 2018, and in February before that date, belongs to the previous year's animal, the Rooster.
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 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 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 2018
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: 1994 (Wood Dog); 2006 (Fire Dog); 2030 (Metal Dog). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 2018?
2018 is the Year of the Dog, a Yang Earth Dog year (Wu-xu).
When does the 2018 Year of the Dog start and end?
It starts on 16 February 2018 and ends on 4 February 2019.
I was born in January 2018. What is my Chinese zodiac?
A Rooster: Lunar New Year 2018 was on 16 February 2018, so all of January 2018 belongs to the Rooster year.
What element is 2018?
Earth. 2018 ends in 8, which belongs to Earth, 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.
Explore more: Chinese zodiac years chart · Year of the Dog · Born in January? · Zodiac sign checker
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