Which Years Are Tiger Years?
People born in 1998, 2010 and 2022 are Tigers. Earlier Tiger years are 1950, 1962, 1974 and 1986. The Tiger comes around every 12 years.
A Tiger year begins at the Start of Spring (Lichun), around February 4. It is usually a different day from Chinese New Year.
BaZi writes your birth year, month, day and hour as two characters each. The two for the year are your year pillar.
Enter your birth date and hour in the free BaZi calculator. If the second character of your year pillar is 寅 (Yin), you are a Tiger. Born before the Start of Spring, your pillar still ends in the previous year's Chou, so you are an Ox.
| Year | Stem-branch | Na Yin | Born between |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ren Yin | Gold Foil | Feb 4 – Feb 3 next year |
| 2010 | Geng Yin | Pine and Cypress Wood | Feb 4 – Feb 3 next year |
| 1998 | Wu Yin | Earth on the City Wall | Feb 4 – Feb 3 next year |
| 1986 | Bing Yin | Fire in the Furnace | Feb 4 – Feb 3 next year |
| 1974 | Jia Yin | Great Stream Water | Feb 4 – Feb 3 next year |
| 1962 | Ren Yin | Gold Foil | Feb 4 – Feb 3 next year |
| 1950 | Geng Yin | Pine and Cypress Wood | Feb 4 – Feb 3 next year |
Calculate your BaZi chart
Enter your birth details to discover your Day Master, elemental balance, and how these concepts apply to your Four Pillars.
What Element Is the Tiger? Yang Wood, Stem and Na Yin
The most common answer is Wood. The Tiger's branch, Yin, is Yang Wood in every Tiger year.
Names like Metal Tiger or Water Tiger come from the first character of the year pillar, the heavenly stem. For example, 2010 is Geng Yin. Its stem is Metal, so it is a Metal Tiger.
| Type | Year pillar | Birth years | Na Yin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Tiger | Jia Yin | 1974 | Great Stream Water |
| Fire Tiger | Bing Yin | 1986 | Fire in the Furnace |
| Earth Tiger | Wu Yin | 1998 | Earth on the City Wall |
| Metal Tiger | Geng Yin | 1950, 2010 | Pine and Cypress Wood |
| Water Tiger | Ren Yin | 1962, 2022 | Gold Foil |
Some sites sort Tigers by Na Yin instead. Na Yin is a second set of element names, one for each stem and branch pair. For 2022, the Na Yin is Gold Foil, so those sites call it a Metal Tiger. By its stem, it is a Water Tiger.
All three answers are in use. They differ in whether they read the branch, the stem or the Na Yin. Whether your chart lacks one of the Five Elements depends on all eight characters of your birth, not on your animal.
Tiger Personality: Drive, Loyalty and a Short Fuse
Tigers tend to be driven, bold and loyal to their friends. Tradition says the Yin branch holds three kinds of energy: wood, fire and earth. The wood, Jia Wood, is the main one.
This wood is a tall tree growing straight up, so you tend to start things and often end up leading. The fire is bright and outgoing. It shows as warmth and directness, and you speak up first when something is unfair. The earth is solid, so the promises you make tend to hold.
The other side is impatience with detail. You may take on too much at once. With room to decide for yourself, these traits tend to show as drive. When you feel boxed in, they can turn into rash moves.
Who Are the Tiger's Allies? Horse, Dog and Pig
The Tiger's allies are the Horse, Dog and Pig. The Horse and Pig are the closest. In folk tradition, your allies are the animals that form a trine or a six harmony with yours.
- TrineThe Tiger, Horse and Dog form a group of three earthly branches.
- Six HarmonyThe Tiger and the Pig form a pair.
The Horse sits at the centre of the trine, so a Tiger and a Horse bond on their own. A Tiger and a Dog need a Horse between them to bond tightly.
Some books also list the Tiger and Pig as a break. Following Sanming Tonghui, we count them as a six harmony only.
Which Animals Clash with the Tiger? Monkey and Snake
The Monkey is the Tiger's worst match. Friction with the Snake is lighter. Clash, punishment and harm all make a poor match, but some weigh more than others.
- ClashSet the twelve animals in a circle, and the two directly opposite collide. This is the heavier kind.
- PunishmentFriction, each holding the other back. This is lighter.
- HarmCalm on the surface, but each quietly drags the other down. This is lighter too.
| Animal | Branch | Relation | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monkey | Shen | Clash and punishment | Heavier |
| Snake | Si | Punishment and harm | Lighter |
No animal forms a break with the Tiger. Two Tigers together are not a bad match either.
Which Years Does the Tiger Offend Tai Sui?
A Tiger offends Tai Sui in Tiger, Monkey and Snake years, each once every 12 years. Tai Sui is the animal of the current year. Folk custom compares it with yours to look for a clash, punishment or harm.
- TigerYour own year
- MonkeyClash and punishment
- SnakePunishment and harm
- Horse, Dog and PigHarmony
A Tiger year is your own year (Ben Ming Nian). Tradition weighs your own year and a clash the most. Punishment and harm are lighter, and harmony is seen as a help.
Offending Tai Sui compares two animals only. It is not a full forecast for your year. For each animal's Tai Sui outlook and tips for the year, see the CNY BaZi Fortune Guide.
Your Animal Is One Character: Day Master and Elements
Your animal is just one character in your BaZi, so it cannot show the whole of you. Everyone born that year is a Tiger, but the month, day and hour pillars differ.
The character that stands for you is the Day Master, the stem of the day you were born. Your temperament and way of working are read from it, together with the strength of your elements.
Whether a year helps or strains you depends on how that year's annual fortune (Liu Nian) relates to your whole chart.
