Khmer Culture & Calendar
Khmer Animal Year and Sak
how a Khmer year gets its full name: animal, Sak, Buddhist Era and Chula Sakarat
A Khmer date often ends with a year name such as “Year of the Horse, Atthasak, B.E. 2570”. That one line holds four different year counts, and each changes on a different day. This guide explains all four, the ten Sak, and the year names from 2024 to 2035.
Four counts in one year name
- Animal · 12-year cycle
One of the twelve animals, from Choot (Rat) to Kor (Pig). It changes at Moha Songkran, the start of Khmer New Year in mid-April. Printed calendars usually show the new animal from the second day.
- Sak · 10-year cycle
A number from one to ten, from Ekasak to Samrithisak. It moves up by one on Loeng Sak, the last day of Khmer New Year.
- Buddhist Era (B.E.)
Counts years from the Buddha's passing (parinibbana). In the Khmer calendar it changes on the 1st waning day of Pisak, the day after Visak Bochea.
- Chula Sakarat (C.S.)
The “Lesser Era”, whose year 0 began in 638 CE. It changes with the Sak on Loeng Sak, and its last digit gives the Sak.
2026: three changes in three weeks
Here is how the year name of 2026 changed, day by day.
Year of the Snake (Msanh), Saptasak, B.E. 2569, C.S. 1387. The Khmer year that began in April 2025 is still running.
Moha Songkran: Khmer New Year begins. The animal changes at the New Year moment.
Calendars now show the Year of the Horse (Momee).
Loeng Sak: the Sak becomes Atthasak and the Chula Sakarat year 1388.
The day after Visak Bochea: the Buddhist Era becomes 2570.
From 2 May 2026 until Khmer New Year 2027 the full name is Year of the Horse (Momee), Atthasak, B.E. 2570.
The ten Sak
The Sak names are the numbers one to nine, plus Samrithisak for the tenth year that completes the cycle. Because the Sak moves with the Chula Sakarat year, the last digit of the C.S. year tells you the Sak.
| No. | Sak | C.S. year ends in | Years (from Loeng Sak) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ekasak | 1 | 2029 · 2039 |
| 2 | Tosak | 2 | 2020 · 2030 |
| 3 | Treisak | 3 | 2021 · 2031 |
| 4 | Chattvasak | 4 | 2022 · 2032 |
| 5 | Panchasak | 5 | 2023 · 2033 |
| 6 | Chhasak | 6 | 2024 · 2034 |
| 7 | Saptasak | 7 | 2025 · 2035 |
| 8 | Atthasak | 8 | 2026 · 2036 |
| 9 | Noppasak | 9 | 2027 · 2037 |
| 10 | Samrithisak | 0 | 2028 · 2038 |
Why the same name returns every 60 years
The animal and the Sak both move one step each year. Twelve animals and ten Sak line up again after 60 years, the smallest number that both 12 and 10 divide.
So 2026 is a Horse year in Atthasak, and so were 1966 and, 60 years later, 2086. Only 60 of the 120 possible pairs ever occur: a Horse year is always an even Sak. The Chinese calendar also has a 60-year cycle, built from ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches, but the Sak is a Khmer count and is not the same as the Chinese stems or five elements.
Khmer year names, 2024–2035
| Khmer year from April | Animal | Sak | B.E. (from Visak) | C.S. (from Loeng Sak) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dragon (Rong) | Chhasak | 2568 | 1386 |
| 2025 | Snake (Msanh) | Saptasak | 2569 | 1387 |
| 2026 | Horse (Momee) | Atthasak | 2570 | 1388 |
| 2027 | Goat (Momae) | Noppasak | 2571 | 1389 |
| 2028 | Monkey (Vok) | Samrithisak | 2572 | 1390 |
| 2029 | Rooster (Roka) | Ekasak | 2573 | 1391 |
| 2030 | Dog (Cho) | Tosak | 2574 | 1392 |
| 2031 | Pig (Kor) | Treisak | 2575 | 1393 |
| 2032 | Rat (Choot) | Chattvasak | 2576 | 1394 |
| 2033 | Ox (Chlov) | Panchasak | 2577 | 1395 |
| 2034 | Tiger (Khal) | Chhasak | 2578 | 1396 |
| 2035 | Rabbit (Thos) | Saptasak | 2579 | 1397 |
Each row starts at Khmer New Year in that April. The B.E. number changes a few weeks later, on the 1st waning day of Pisak.
What was the Khmer year on a date?
Enter any date from 1900 to 2059 to see its animal, Sak, Buddhist Era and Chula Sakarat. It runs in your browser; nothing is saved or sent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sak in the Khmer calendar?
Sak is a ten-year count used next to the twelve animals. Each Khmer year has one, from Ekasak (first) to Samrithisak (tenth), and it moves up by one on Loeng Sak, the last day of Khmer New Year.
What Sak is 2026?
Atthasak, the eighth Sak. It began on Loeng Sak, 16 April 2026, and lasts until Loeng Sak in April 2027, when Noppasak begins.
When does the Buddhist Era year change in Cambodia?
On the 1st waning day of the month of Pisak, the day after Visak Bochea. It became B.E. 2570 on 2 May 2026, and the calendar rules give 21 May 2027 for B.E. 2571.
Why does Cambodia show B.E. 2570 when Thailand shows 2569?
Thailand fixes its Buddhist Era at the Gregorian year plus 543 and starts it on 1 January. The Khmer calendar adds 544 after Visak Bochea and 543 before it.
Is the Khmer animal year the same as the Chinese zodiac animal?
The animals are the same, but the Khmer year changes at Khmer New Year in April, while the Chinese year changes at Chinese New Year. Read when the Khmer animal year really changes.
How do I find my own Khmer year name?
Use the checker above with your birth date. For your full Khmer lunar birth date, try the Zodiac Checker.
Read next: how the Khmer lunar calendar counts days, Khmer leap months and leap days, or open the Khmer Calendar.
For cultural interest. Year names are calculated with traditional Khmer calendar rules; printed calendars may show the new animal a day later than the exact New Year moment.
Sources
- All year names, Sak and B.E./C.S. numbers: traditional Khmer calendar rules in the open-source momentkh library.
- Chula Sakarat, the “Lesser Era” beginning in 638 CE: Wikipedia, “Chula Sakarat”.
- Buddhist Era counted from the parinibbana, and Thailand’s 543-year offset: Wikipedia, “Buddhist calendar”.
