Quick Answer: What Is the 2018 Chinese Zodiac Sign?
The 2018 Chinese zodiac (生肖, shēngxiào) is the Earth Dog from February 16, 2018 through February 4, 2019, inclusive. The year’s traditional name is Wu-Xu (戊戌, Wù-Xū).[1][2]
- Before February 16. Births from January 1 through February 15, 2018 fall in the Fire Rooster year.[1]
- Why Earth Dog. Wu supplies the Earth element and Xu gives the Dog animal.[4]
- After February 4, 2019. The Earth Pig year starts on February 5.[2]
These dates use Lunar New Year. Some Four Pillars charts start the year at Start of Spring (立春, Lìchūn).[3]
If a birthday falls in the first half of February 2018, you need the exact date to assign the animal. The lunar year changes on February 16. It then extends into early February of the following Gregorian year.
2018 Earth Dog Birth Dates
| Gregorian date of birth | Lunar New Year sign |
|---|---|
| January 1–February 15, 2018 | Coq de Feu |
| February 16, 2018–February 4, 2019 | Chien de Terre |
| February 5–December 31, 2019 | Cochon de Terre |
The 2018 calendar places Start of Spring on February 4 and the first lunar day on February 16. For example, a February 10 birthday is Fire Rooster by the festival convention and Earth Dog under the solar-term method.[1][3][4]
What the Earth in Earth Dog Means
Wu is the Heavenly Stem (天干, tiāngān) for Yang Earth (阳土, yáng tǔ) in Wuxing (五行, wǔxíng). Xu is the Earthly Branch (地支, dìzhī) for Dog (狗, gǒu). The branch also has its own Earth association. To identify the Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water in the popular year name, read the stem. The same Gan-Zhi (干支, gānzhī) pair returned from the Chien de Terre de 1958 after 60 years.[3][4]
The Na Yin (纳音, nà yīn) table groups Wu-Xu and the following Earth Pig under Flatland Wood (平地木, Píng Dì Mù). That name records a separate classification shared by both years.[4][5]
The Dog as a Zodiac Animal and a Jade Motif
Earth Dog profiles commonly emphasize steadiness and loyalty. Traditional compatibility charts favor pairings such as Tiger, Rabbit and Horse. One 2018 guide lists 0 and 5 as lucky numbers and yellow and green as lucky colors. The Dog zodiac guide covers associations shared across Dog years.[4][6][7]
A small Chinese jade hound in the National Museum of Asian Art wears a collar with a bell, which suggests a hunting dog. One interpretation is that an object of this kind could have been given to a person born in a Dog year. The piece’s owner or recipient remains unidentified in the museum’s account.[8] That difference between a visible detail and a possible meaning is useful when reading Chinese jade motifs.
Earth Dog in 2026 and the 2027 Goat Year
A 2026 folk guide for the 2018 cohort emphasizes routines and adjusting to school. Its 2027 interpretation discusses consistency at school. Separately, a branch-based chart treats the relationship between Dog and Goat as mixed in 2027. The first approach describes a birth cohort, while the second applies the same animal pairing to Dog years generally.[4][6]
FAQs About the 2018 Chinese Zodiac
Is February 4, 2019 still an Earth Dog birthday?
Yes. February 4 is the eve of Lunar New Year. The Pig year starts on February 5.[2]
Are 2006 and 2018 both Earth Dog years?
They share the Xu branch. In 2006 the stem gives Fire. The 2018 stem gives Earth.[3][4]
Why does the Earth Dog also have the name Flatland Wood?
Flatland Wood is a Na Yin category assigned to two consecutive years. The Earth in Earth Dog comes from the stem Wu.[4][5]
Sources
[1] Hong Kong Observatory. 2018 Gregorian–lunar calendar conversion table
[2] Hong Kong Observatory. 2019 Gregorian–lunar calendar conversion table
[3] Hong Kong Observatory. What year is it today?
[4] Zodiac Almanac. 2018 Earth Dog calendar labels and dated folk interpretation
[5] Liao Zhong. Wuxing Jingji, digital edition
[6] TravelChinaGuide. 2018 Earth Dog folk associations and outlook
[7] China Highlights. Chinese zodiac compatibility chart
[8] National Museum of Asian Art. A Chinese jade hound and its possible zodiac association