Chinese zodiac · sign 3 of 12 · 寅 · Hong Life
You are a Tiger if you were born in 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 — counting from Lunar New Year, not January 1. The Tiger is the third sign of the Chinese zodiac, a yang sign whose fixed element is Wood, known in Korea as 호랑이띠 and in Vietnam as Dần (Hổ, tiger).
Each Tiger 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 Ox. Click a year for its own page with the exact boundary, Korean Seollal and Ipchun times.
| Year | Sign | Stem-branch | Dates | Korean ddi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Wood Tiger | 甲寅 | Jan 26, 1914 – Feb 13, 1915 | 푸른 호랑이띠 |
| 1926 | Fire Tiger | 丙寅 | Feb 13, 1926 – Feb 1, 1927 | 붉은 호랑이띠 |
| 1938 | Earth Tiger | 戊寅 | Jan 31, 1938 – Feb 18, 1939 | 황금 호랑이띠 |
| 1950 | Metal Tiger | 庚寅 | Feb 17, 1950 – Feb 5, 1951 | 흰 호랑이띠 |
| 1962 | Water Tiger | 壬寅 | Feb 5, 1962 – Jan 24, 1963 | 검은 호랑이띠 |
| 1974 | Wood Tiger | 甲寅 | Jan 23, 1974 – Feb 10, 1975 | 푸른 호랑이띠 |
| 1986 | Fire Tiger | 丙寅 | Feb 9, 1986 – Jan 28, 1987 | 붉은 호랑이띠 |
| 1998 | Earth Tiger | 戊寅 | Jan 28, 1998 – Feb 15, 1999 | 황금 호랑이띠 |
| 2010 | Metal Tiger | 庚寅 | Feb 14, 2010 – Feb 2, 2011 | 흰 호랑이띠 |
| 2022 | Water Tiger | 壬寅 | Feb 1, 2022 – Jan 21, 2023 | 검은 호랑이띠 |
Tiger years are read as courageous, energetic and independent. Tigers are said to love a challenge, stand up for the underdog and lead naturally, sometimes before checking who is following.
In tradition the Tiger is bold and magnetic: it acts on conviction, protects its own fiercely and prefers freedom to rules it did not write.
The tiger was revered across Korea, China and Vietnam as the king of the mountains and a protector against evil, which is why tiger paintings were hung at the New Year. The Tiger month opens the solar year at Ipchun (Start of Spring).
Passionate and generous, with grand gestures; Tigers need a partner who respects their independence and can match their energy.
At home in leadership, entrepreneurship, advocacy, sport, the military, emergency services and any role that needs nerve.
These are traditional folk associations, not psychological findings.
The year’s heavenly stem adds one of five elements, so there are five kinds of Tiger that repeat every 60 years. The Tiger’s own branch element is Wood, so the Wood Tiger is the “purest” form of the sign.
| Type | Years | Traditional flavour |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Tiger | 1914, 1974 | cooperative, principled, keeps growing; watch for overcommitting, stubborn about ideals |
| Fire Tiger | 1926, 1986 | enthusiastic, expressive, inspiring; watch for impatient, prone to burnout |
| Earth Tiger | 1938, 1998 | reliable, patient, grounded; watch for slow to change, worries quietly |
| Metal Tiger | 1950, 2010 | disciplined, loyal, decisive; watch for rigid, can sound blunt |
| Water Tiger | 1962, 2022 | perceptive, diplomatic, adaptable; watch for indecisive, keeps feelings hidden |
| Partner | Rating | Relation | Traditional reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pig | Excellent | Six Harmony | A Six Harmony pair: tradition calls these "secret friends" who quietly complete each other. |
| Horse | Very good | Three Harmony | Both belong to the Fire trine (Tiger, Horse, Dog), sharing goals and a similar pace. |
| Dog | Very good | Three Harmony | Both belong to the Fire trine (Tiger, Horse, Dog), 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. |
| Ox | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Tiger | Neutral | Same sign | Same sign: easy understanding and shared habits, with the risk of shared blind spots. |
| 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. |
| Goat | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Rooster | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Snake | Most difficult | Harm, Punishment | Both a Harm and a Punishment pair: misunderstandings build up unless both stay very direct. |
| Monkey | Most difficult | Clash, Punishment | Opposite signs that also form a punishment pair: strong attraction, frequent power struggles. |
Korean gunghap adds the wonjin (원진) pair, Tiger–Rooster. 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 Tiger: No special relationship with the Goat.
Your sign has no classical harmony or clash with the Goat, so 2027 is read as a "neutral" year in which results depend on your own effort and on the rest of your chart rather than on the year sign.
Each Tiger year also meets the Fire stem differently:
| Born | Sign | Age in 2027 | Element vs. 2027 Fire |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Metal Tiger | 77 | Fire controls Metal |
| 1962 | Water Tiger | 65 | Water controls Fire |
| 1974 | Wood Tiger | 53 | Wood feeds Fire |
| 1986 | Fire Tiger | 41 | Fire meets Fire |
| 1998 | Earth Tiger | 29 | Fire feeds Earth |
| 2010 | Metal Tiger | 17 | Fire controls Metal |
| 2022 | Water Tiger | 5 | Water controls Fire |
See the full 2027 Year of the Goat guide.
| Branch | 寅 In (Yín / tora) |
|---|---|
| Yin-yang | Yang |
| Fixed element | Wood |
| Trine | Fire trine: Tiger, Horse, Dog |
| Double-hour | 03:00–05:00 |
| Solar month | about Feb 4 – Mar 5 |
| Direction | East-northeast |
| Korean / Japanese / Vietnamese | 호랑이띠 / tora (寅, tora) / Dần (Hổ, tiger) |
| Lucky numbers / colours | 1, 3, 4 / blue, grey, orange (popular modern list; varies by source) |
Recent Tiger years are 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022. Each starts at Lunar New Year, not on January 1, so check the exact dates in the table.
Tradition favours the Pig (Six Harmony) and the Horse and Dog (Three Harmony). The Monkey is the clashing sign. This is folklore for entertainment; real relationships depend on the people.
Depending on the year’s stem, a Tiger is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water: Wood Tiger 1974; Fire Tiger 1986; Earth Tiger 1998; Metal Tiger 1950, 2010; Water Tiger 1962, 2022.
No special relationship with the Goat: Your sign has no classical harmony or clash with the Goat, so 2027 is read as a "neutral" year in which results depend on your own effort and on the rest of your chart rather than on the year sign.
The Tiger is 호랑이 (寅) in Korean, and people born in its years are called 호랑이띠.
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.