Chinese zodiac · sign 6 of 12 · 巳 · Hong Life
You are a Snake if you were born in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 — counting from Lunar New Year, not January 1. The Snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese zodiac, a yin sign whose fixed element is Fire, known in Korea as 뱀띠 and in Vietnam as Tỵ (Rắn, snake).
Each Snake year begins at Lunar New Year (China, UTC+8). Birthdays in January or early February before the start date belong to the previous sign, the Dragon. Click a year for its own page with the exact boundary, Korean Seollal and Ipchun times.
| Year | Sign | Stem-branch | Dates | Korean ddi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | Fire Snake | 丁巳 | Jan 23, 1917 – Feb 10, 1918 | 붉은 뱀띠 |
| 1929 | Earth Snake | 己巳 | Feb 10, 1929 – Jan 29, 1930 | 황금 뱀띠 |
| 1941 | Metal Snake | 辛巳 | Jan 27, 1941 – Feb 14, 1942 | 흰 뱀띠 |
| 1953 | Water Snake | 癸巳 | Feb 14, 1953 – Feb 2, 1954 | 검은 뱀띠 |
| 1965 | Wood Snake | 乙巳 | Feb 2, 1965 – Jan 20, 1966 | 푸른 뱀띠 |
| 1977 | Fire Snake | 丁巳 | Feb 18, 1977 – Feb 6, 1978 | 붉은 뱀띠 |
| 1989 | Earth Snake | 己巳 | Feb 6, 1989 – Jan 26, 1990 | 황금 뱀띠 |
| 2001 | Metal Snake | 辛巳 | Jan 24, 2001 – Feb 11, 2002 | 흰 뱀띠 |
| 2013 | Water Snake | 癸巳 | Feb 10, 2013 – Jan 30, 2014 | 검은 뱀띠 |
| 2025 | Wood Snake | 乙巳 | Jan 29, 2025 – Feb 16, 2026 | 푸른 뱀띠 |
Snake years are traditionally read as thoughtful, perceptive and self-controlled. Snakes are said to plan quietly, read people well and move decisively once the moment is right.
In folk readings the Snake is the strategist of the zodiac: elegant, reserved and deeply analytical, with a sixth sense for hidden motives.
Snakes were linked with wisdom, healing and the guarding of treasure. In Korean homes a house snake (eopgureongi) was once believed to protect the family’s wealth, so the sign is not as sinister as Western imagery suggests.
Intense and devoted, but private; Snakes value loyalty very highly and can be possessive if trust is shaken.
Suited to research, analysis, finance, psychology, law, medicine, investigation and strategy roles.
These are traditional folk associations, not psychological findings.
The year’s heavenly stem adds one of five elements, so there are five kinds of Snake that repeat every 60 years. The Snake’s own branch element is Fire, so the Fire Snake is the “purest” form of the sign.
| Type | Years | Traditional flavour |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Snake | 1965, 2025 | cooperative, principled, keeps growing; watch for overcommitting, stubborn about ideals |
| Fire Snake | 1917, 1977 | enthusiastic, expressive, inspiring; watch for impatient, prone to burnout |
| Earth Snake | 1929, 1989 | reliable, patient, grounded; watch for slow to change, worries quietly |
| Metal Snake | 1941, 2001 | disciplined, loyal, decisive; watch for rigid, can sound blunt |
| Water Snake | 1953, 2013 | perceptive, diplomatic, adaptable; watch for indecisive, keeps feelings hidden |
| Partner | Rating | Relation | Traditional reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ox | Very good | Three Harmony | Both belong to the Metal trine (Snake, Rooster, Ox), sharing goals and a similar pace. |
| Monkey | Very good | Six Harmony, Punishment | Six Harmony makes them natural allies, though the Snake–Monkey pair also counts as a punishment pair, so trust has to be earned. |
| Rooster | Very good | Three Harmony | Both belong to the Metal trine (Snake, Rooster, Ox), sharing goals and a similar pace. |
| Rat | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Rabbit | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Dragon | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Snake | Neutral | Same sign | Same sign: easy understanding and shared habits, with the risk of shared blind spots. |
| Horse | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Goat | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Dog | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Tiger | Most difficult | Harm, Punishment | Both a Harm and a Punishment pair: misunderstandings build up unless both stay very direct. |
| Pig | Most difficult | Clash | Directly opposite on the zodiac wheel: different rhythms and priorities, so compromise is essential. |
Korean gunghap adds the wonjin (원진) pair, Snake–Dog. Compare every pair on the 12×12 compatibility chart.
2027 is the Yin Fire Goat year Jeongmi (丁未), from Feb 6, 2027 to Jan 25, 2028 in the Chinese calendar (Korean Seollal: Feb 7). For the Snake: Seasonal (directional) Fire group with the Goat.
Snake, Horse and Goat together make the summer directional group (巳午未), so the Snake meets a familiar, warm Fire-Earth energy in 2027. Tradition sees this as a year to push visible projects, while minding over-heating schedules.
Each Snake year also meets the Fire stem differently:
| Born | Sign | Age in 2027 | Element vs. 2027 Fire |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Metal Snake | 86 | Fire controls Metal |
| 1953 | Water Snake | 74 | Water controls Fire |
| 1965 | Wood Snake | 62 | Wood feeds Fire |
| 1977 | Fire Snake | 50 | Fire meets Fire |
| 1989 | Earth Snake | 38 | Fire feeds Earth |
| 2001 | Metal Snake | 26 | Fire controls Metal |
| 2013 | Water Snake | 14 | Water controls Fire |
| 2025 | Wood Snake | 2 | Wood feeds Fire |
See the full 2027 Year of the Goat guide.
| Branch | 巳 Sa (Sì / mi) |
|---|---|
| Yin-yang | Yin |
| Fixed element | Fire |
| Trine | Metal trine: Snake, Rooster, Ox |
| Double-hour | 09:00–11:00 |
| Solar month | about May 6 – Jun 5 |
| Direction | South-southeast |
| Korean / Japanese / Vietnamese | 뱀띠 / mi (巳, hebi) / Tỵ (Rắn, snake) |
| Lucky numbers / colours | 2, 8, 9 / black, red, yellow (popular modern list; varies by source) |
Recent Snake years are 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025. Each starts at Lunar New Year, not on January 1, so check the exact dates in the table.
Tradition favours the Monkey (Six Harmony) and the Rooster and Ox (Three Harmony). The Pig is the clashing sign. This is folklore for entertainment; real relationships depend on the people.
Depending on the year’s stem, a Snake is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water: Fire Snake 1977; Earth Snake 1989; Metal Snake 1941, 2001; Water Snake 1953, 2013; Wood Snake 1965, 2025.
Seasonal (directional) Fire group with the Goat: Snake, Horse and Goat together make the summer directional group (巳午未), so the Snake meets a familiar, warm Fire-Earth energy in 2027. Tradition sees this as a year to push visible projects, while minding over-heating schedules.
The Snake is 뱀 (巳) in Korean, and people born in its years are called 뱀띠.
In Korean Saju the year animal is one of four pillars. The free calculator shows all of them, plus your five-element balance and a 2027 outlook.
Open the free Korean Saju calculator →Everything on this page about personality, compatibility and luck is cultural tradition for entertainment.