Quick Answer: What Is the 2022 Chinese Zodiac Sign?
The 2022 Chinese zodiac (生肖, shēngxiào) is the Water Tiger if you were born from February 1, 2022 through January 21, 2023, inclusive. The traditional year name is Ren-Yin (壬寅, Rén-Yín).[1][2]
- A January 2022 birthday. All of January 2022 falls in the preceding Metal Ox year.[1]
- The name Water Tiger. Ren denotes Water, and Yin is the Tiger branch.[4]
- A January 2023 birthday. The Water Rabbit begins on January 22, 2023.[2]
These dates follow Lunar New Year. Some Four Pillars charts change the year when the solar term Start of Spring (立春, Lìchūn) arrives.[3]
For the 2022 zodiac, January ends with the Ox and February opens with the Tiger. The next January contains both Tiger and Rabbit dates. To choose the sign for a birthday near either change, match the date to a full lunar-year range.
2022 Water Tiger Dates at Both New Years
| Gregorian date of birth | Lunar New Year sign |
|---|---|
| January 1–31, 2022 | Buey de Metal |
| February 1, 2022–January 21, 2023 | Tigre de Agua |
| January 22–December 31, 2023 | Conejo de Agua |
February 2, 2022 is already a Tiger date in the lunar calendar. Start of Spring fell on February 4, so at the same point a solar-term Four Pillars chart still places the birth in the Ox year.[1][3][4]
Ren-Yin, Water and the Gold Leaf Name
Ren is the Heavenly Stem (天干, tiāngān) for Yang Water (阳水, yáng shuǐ) in Wuxing (五行, wǔxíng). Yin is the Earthly Branch (地支, dìzhī) for Tiger (虎, hǔ). The branch Yin is written 寅. The word for the branch is yín, while yīn in the complementary Yin and Yang categories has another tone and another character, 阴. The Gan-Zhi (干支, gānzhī) pair also identifies the Tigre de Agua de 1962.[3][4]
In Na Yin (纳音, nà yīn), the 2022 Tiger and the following Water Rabbit share Gold Leaf (金箔金, Jīn Bó Jīn). The water in Water Tiger comes from the individual stem. The Gold Leaf label names a group of two years in the Na Yin table.[4][5]
What the Tiger Motif Conveys
The tiger is associated with strength and bravery in Chinese imagery. A pair of bronze tiger supports from about 950–850 BCE has stripes forming the character for king (王, wáng). The supports may once have held a bell stand. The bronze design shows how a tiger could convey rank or power on an object that may have been used in ritual music.[8]
Popular Water Tiger profiles emphasize initiative and adaptability. Some animal compatibility charts pair Tiger with Horse, Dog or Pig. One reading for 2022 lists 3 and 9 as lucky numbers and green and gold as lucky colors. The Tiger zodiac profile covers recurring Tiger associations across years.[4][6][7]
The Water Tiger in 2027 Folk Readings
A 2027 reading for the 2022 birth cohort discusses curiosity and learning by imitation. A chart concerned with the relation between animal signs treats the Tiger’s link with the 2027 Goat as neutral. The two readings illustrate how a birth-year profile and an annual animal comparison work.[4][6]
FAQs About the 2022 Chinese Zodiac
Is January 21, 2023 a Water Tiger or Water Rabbit date?
January 21 is Water Tiger under the Lunar New Year convention. Water Rabbit begins on January 22.[2]
Do 2010 and 2022 share the Water element?
The two years share the Tiger branch. The 2010 stem gives Metal, while the 2022 stem gives Water.[3][4]
Why does a Water Tiger have a Gold Leaf name?
Gold Leaf describes a paired category in the Na Yin table. The Water Tiger name is formed directly from the 2022 stem and branch.[4][5]
Fuentes
[1] Hong Kong Observatory. 2022 Gregorian–lunar calendar conversion table
[2] Hong Kong Observatory. 2023 Gregorian–lunar calendar conversion table
[3] Hong Kong Observatory. What year is it today?
[4] Zodiac Almanac. 2022 Water Tiger calendar labels and dated folk interpretation
[5] Liao Zhong. Wuxing Jingji, digital edition
[6] TravelChinaGuide. 2022 Water Tiger lucky signs and 2027 reading
[7] China Highlights. Chinese zodiac compatibility chart
[8] National Museum of Asian Art. Supports in the Form of Tigers