Year of the Rooster: Chinese Zodiac Sign, Personality, Compatibility
The tenth Chinese zodiac animal sign, the Rooster, is the embodiment of justice and punctuality. They are principled and possess a strong sense of right and wrong, although they can also be overconfident and convinced that they’re right. Thankfully, they also have ample energy to pursue their highest ambitions and make their vision of the world a reality.
In Chinese astrology, being a Rooster affects not only a person’s entire horoscope and character, but also their inclinations at work, in love, their health, and many other aspects of daily life. It determines which zodiac sign is a good romantic match and which could be a helpful mentor at the right time. In addition, it affects your luck. For example, pay extra attention if it’s your zodiac birth year (Ben Ming Nian) because if you offend Tai Sui, the Guardian God of the year, you could be in for a stretch of setbacks!
Chinese Zodiac Years for Rooster
The year of the Rooster occurs every 12-year cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar, usually starting in January or early February around the time of Chinese New Year. This is because the zodiac system is based on the lunar calendar, which isn’t a perfect match for the Gregorian calendar. Our Chinese zodiac calculator can tell you if you’re a Rooster. The most recent Rooster year was 2017, while the next will be 2029.
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Read moreChart of Rooster Years, Dates, and Elements
Rooster Year | Start of the Lunar Year | End of the Lunar Year | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
1921 | February 8, 1921 | January 27, 1922 | Metal |
1933 | January 26, 1933 | February 13, 1934 | Water |
1945 | February 13, 1945 | February 1, 1946 | Wood |
1957 | January 31, 1957 | February 17, 1958 | Fire |
1969 | February 17, 1969 | February 15, 1970 | Earth |
1981 | February 5, 1981 | January 24, 1982 | Metal |
1993 | January 23, 1993 | February 9, 1994 | Water |
2005 | February 9, 2005 | January 28, 2006 | Wood |
2017 | January 28, 2017 | February 15, 2018 | Fire |
2029 | February 13, 2029 | February 2, 2030 | Earth |
Rooster Zodiac: Personality and Traits
Roosters are energetic and efficient, which is the key to their early professional success. This will motivate Roosters to go after even bigger goals. On the other hand, Roosters can also be too direct in their communication. This is both a reflection of their iron-clad principles and their belief, deep down, that they’re better than everyone else.
The Rooster is principled and energetic, although, at times, also vain and less than friendly if they feel their boundary has been crossed.
More extroverted than many zodiac signs, Rooster people won’t shy away from the limelight. In fact, it’s necessary fodder for their often-outsized egos. Instead of performing with emotions, however, Roosters are better at public speaking or debating. Their impeccable logic will likely triumph over all their competitors.
While their work ethic and energy are appreciated at work, Roosters may have a harder time in love because they don’t understand the meaning of compromise. When a loved one is upset or hurt, Rooster, it’s probably not the best time to go over the logic of your argument in order to prove you’ve been right all along. Culturally, the Rooster has been associated with an ability to ward off evil spirits. They also tend to be picky eaters.
Male Roosters
Male Roosters are serious and earnest. They’re the ultimate organizers both at work and at home. You can count on a Rooster man to manage a project or the budget in the office and run a flourishing household on relatively little money. Male Roosters are researchers and implementers, however, and they won’t do well if they’re asked to create anything out of thin air.
Female Roosters
Female Roosters are practical and detail-oriented. They can be trusted to tackle the most difficult projects at work, but they’re humbler than their male counterparts. For that reason, they’re often popular and highly sought after as the second-in-command. Think of the chief of staff to the president, for example. That’s the kind of position female Roosters would thrive in!
Rooster and the Five Elements
Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are the elements that govern the whole world in Chinese culture, including the zodiac signs. The Chinese zodiac Rooster sign is associated with the element of metal, but your personality will also differ depending on the element of your birth year. A Water Rooster born in 1993, for example, will have a very different Rooster horoscope than a Fire Rooster born in 1957.
Element | Year | Personality |
|---|---|---|
Metal | 1921, 1981 | Metal Roosters are excellent speakers, with a sound logic to back up their always astonishing words. When they set their mind to something, Metal Roosters follow through, giving the impression that things just “happen” to go their way. Metal Roosters are also independent and would prefer to work for themselves. |
Water | 1933, 1993
| Water Roosters are sensitive and often suspicious of others. They lack the sense of security that arises out of trust for themselves and for others. They’re independent to the core and will rarely ask for help, even in the direst circumstances. Water Roosters must learn to work with others; otherwise, it’ll be hard for them to achieve their goals in life. |
Wood | 1944, 2004
| Wood Roosters are generous and helpful without expecting anything in return for their generosity. As such, they’re often well-liked by peers and superiors alike and will quickly rise through the ranks to garner prestige and wield considerable power. Even so, Wood Roosters prioritize their romantic partner, family, and friends above all. |
Fire | 1956, 2016 | Fire Roosters are goal-oriented and may neglect their family for the sake of their careers. Perhaps this is because Fire Roosters are self-starters and must pull themselves up by their bootstraps early on. Thankfully, by middle age, Fire Roosters should be successful enough to finally consider their personal life. |
Earth | 1968, 2028 | Earth Roosters are kind and honest. When it comes to their love life, Earth Roosters show their affection by providing acts of service to their partner. Marital bliss is relatively easy to come by as a result. Earth Roosters are hard workers who may not aspire to change the world, but they will, nonetheless, perform the work they’re given in life to their greatest professional advantage. |
Lucky Things for Roosters
Being a metal zodiac, the Rooster is blessed with good fortune when it comes to anything associated with the metal element. Fire is believed to overcome metal, so things associated with the fire element should be avoided. Here’s a list of lucky and unlucky things for the Rooster.
Lucky Things
Lucky numbers: 5, 8
Lucky colors: Gold, Coffee
Lucky directions: West, Southwest
Lucky flowers: Cockscomb, Gladiola
Things to Avoid
Unlucky numbers: 3, 9
Unlucky colors: Green, Red
Unlucky directions: Northeast
Other unlucky items or things to be avoided: wearing red, bickering
Compatibility: Best and Worst Matches for Rooster
Some zodiac sign pairings have better love compatibility than others, according to the Chinese zodiac system, because each zodiac sign has a distinct personality, which may cooperate or clash with another.
The Rooster’s hardworking nature makes them appealing to some, but their cocksure attitude certainly deters many as well, such as the Rat or the Tiger. But that’s the way love goes—you can’t be everyone’s cup of tea, can you?
The best romantic matches for the Rooster are the Dragon, the Snake, and the Ox. These zodiac signs will take the Rooster just as they are—confident, ambitious, vain, and quarrelsome. It takes special wisdom to see a rounded person instead of a collection of traits.
On the other hand, the Rooster doesn’t get along with the Rabbit or the Dog. These two milder signs don’t take the Rooster’s ego well, it seems, and the Rooster doesn’t care for their “little” ways of living life, either.
Most Compatible: Dragon, Snake, Ox
The best zodiac matches for the Rooster are the Dragon, the Snake, and the Ox. Unions between the Rooster and these signs are harmonious, filled with understanding and mutual appreciation.
The Dragon and the Rooster both like to show off, and in this case, their partner will give them much to be proud of because both are ambitious and flashy personalities who require their other half to be a comrade on the battlefield of life. The only minor consideration is that someone between this workaholic pair must remember to keep the emotional link going strong.
The Snake and the Rooster complement one another—one is mysterious, while the other is brash. But these signs share the tender and caring way they treat their loved one. They will become friends as well as romantic partners, as the Rooster doesn’t need to lose their temper around the ingenious Snake.
Interestingly, the Rooster doesn’t find the Ox dull, though the Ox is definitely not the showy type that the Rooster is usually drawn toward, and the Ox doesn’t find the Rooster untrustworthy, though the Rooster is definitely more of a free spirit than the Ox is used to. Despite such differences, the Ox and the Rooster admire each other and will grow to love each other.
Least Compatible: Dog, Rabbit
The Rooster’s temper, at times well-concealed at work, is given full expression in a romantic relationship that doesn’t work. The Dog and the Rabbit are two signs that are most likely to form one-half of a floundering relationship with the Rooster.
The Rabbit likes a lowkey but comfortable life, while the Rooster finds that rather boring. The least bit of disagreement gets blown up until both sides are shouting—not the easiest of feats considering the Rabbit’s gentle nature. But then again, the Rooster can be provocative without even trying. Better reconsider this pairing.
In this relationship, both the Dog and the Rooster place themselves above their partner—they judge and nitpick their partner’s living habits and will become outright accusatory if given the chance. When this union ends, it’s likely to end with both parties injured and bitter simply because neither realized the importance of compromise.
Best Jobs and Careers for Rooster
The Rooster can usually expect a career of great ups and downs, but even when things aren’t going well, the Rooster will stick it out and work hard until the losses have been more than made up for. This diligent sign can become great policemen and athletes or go after a career in law, politics, or accounting.
When it comes down to the wire, the Rooster will often surprise everyone with their tenacity and the energy that remains in their body after a long and arduous race. Literally, Roosters can become star athletes who make the winning shot or police officers who stay on a criminal’s trail for years to come.
Their sense of justice makes them great candidates for the legal system and possibly politics if they’re inclined to deal with others’ less-than-honorable conduct. The Rooster will rarely pursue a career in the arts, although those who do will find the attention and applause very soothing for their ego.
Health and Lifestyle Advice
Roosters are excellent with money—their own or others. Add on top of that their work ethic and their ability to tackle difficult problems that no one else would dare, the Rooster will never be short of money or a comfortable lifestyle, even when their career is going through one of the great drops that inevitably precede their eventual ascent.
The Rooster’s natural energy and their tendency to speak their mind mean they’re usually very sound psychologically. But they also have the tendency to ignore their physical health. For that reason, Roosters would do well to exercise and eat well so that problems arise less frequently and their bodies are prepared should any major problem come up.
Rooster and the 12 Zodiac Animals (Origin Story)
The Chinese zodiac signs have an origin story that explains how the zodiac animals secured their place on this coveted list. Many would have assumed that the Rooster is nothing more than a barnyard animal, but it was triumphant out of an impossible task, making their tenth laurel a well-deserved one.
To decide which animals would be honored by being named the zodiacs, the Jade Emperor organized a race across the celestial river in the heavens. No one expected the Rooster to have a chance since it couldn’t swim, and there were much bigger animals who could easily shove the Rooster aside.
However, the Rooster isn’t one to shy away from impossible tasks. It found a piece of driftwood to stand on, and it used its wings as sails to propel the makeshift boat down the river. Progressing this way was slow, but eventually, the Rooster made it to the finish line.
Famous People Born in the Year of the Rooster
Many Roosters certainly like to court the limelight. Even those who don’t will never shy away from some well-deserved attention. Here’s a list of the most well-known Roosters in the world.
Meghan Markle
Daniel Day-Lewis
Ellen DeGeneres
Ariana Grande
Yoko Ono
Mia Farrow
Stephen Fry
Beyonce
Chris Evans
Britney Spears
Harry Styles
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Natalie Portman
Jennifer Lopez