Year of the Dragon: the years, the sign and 龙 in Chinese
The Dragon is the fifth animal of the Chinese zodiac, between the Rabbit and the Snake, and the only one that doesn't exist. Years of the Dragon: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024. The latest, the Wood Dragon, lasted from February 10, 2024 to January 28, 2025; the next Dragon year begins on January 28, 2036.
Remember that the zodiac year starts on Chinese New Year, somewhere between late January and mid-February, and not on January 1. Below: the exact dates, what the Dragon means in China (it's not the dragon you know from Western fairy tales), its matches, and how to say "I'm a Dragon" in Chinese.
Years of the Dragon
| Year | Starts | Ends | Element | In Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | January 23, 1928 | February 9, 1929 | Earth Dragon | 戊辰 · 土龙 |
| 1940 | February 8, 1940 | January 26, 1941 | Metal Dragon | 庚辰 · 金龙 |
| 1952 | January 27, 1952 | February 13, 1953 | Water Dragon | 壬辰 · 水龙 |
| 1964 | February 13, 1964 | February 1, 1965 | Wood Dragon | 甲辰 · 木龙 |
| 1976 | January 31, 1976 | February 17, 1977 | Fire Dragon | 丙辰 · 火龙 |
| 1988 | February 17, 1988 | February 5, 1989 | Earth Dragon | 戊辰 · 土龙 |
| 2000 | February 5, 2000 | January 23, 2001 | Metal Dragon | 庚辰 · 金龙 |
| 2012 | January 23, 2012 | February 9, 2013 | Water Dragon | 壬辰 · 水龙 |
| 2024 | February 10, 2024 | January 28, 2025 | Wood Dragon | 甲辰 · 木龙 |
| 2036 | January 28, 2036 | February 14, 2037 | Fire Dragon | 丙辰 · 火龙 |
January and February birthdays need a second look. The Dragon year 1988 didn't begin until February 17, 1988, so someone born on February 10, 1988 is a Rabbit. And the latest Dragon year ran on into the next calendar year: a baby born between January 1 and January 28, 2025 is still a Dragon, not a Snake.
Dragon in Chinese: 龙
The character is 龙 lóng, and here the zodiac and everyday speech use the same word: . In Taiwan and Hong Kong you'll see the traditional form 龍, a far more intricate drawing of the same word.
Pronunciation: lóng sounds like "loong": an l, a short "oo" as in "book", and the ng of "song", with no hard g at the end. The second tone rises, as when you ask "Long?" in surprise. Dragons are long, and the measure word agrees: 一条龙 yì tiáo lóng, with , the same one used for rivers, roads and snakes.
Among the earthly branches the Dragon is 辰 chén, which also marked the hours from 7 to 9 a.m. The branch lives on in a few words: 时辰 shíchen, the old two-hour "watch", and 星辰 xīngchén, "the stars". The cycle name of 2024 was 甲辰 jiǎchén.
The Chinese dragon is not a monster
Forget the fire-breathing beast that guards gold and eats knights. The Chinese dragon has no wings, a long snake-like body, and it rules water: rivers, seas and, above all, rain. In times of drought people prayed to the Dragon Kings, 龙王 Lóngwáng, to . For centuries the dragon was the emblem of the , and the Chinese still call themselves, half seriously, "descendants of the dragon", 龙的传人 lóng de chuánrén. Because the two creatures are so different, some writers spell the Chinese one loong.
- 在中国文化里，龙象征力量和好运。zàizhōngguówénhuàlǐ,lóngxiàngzhēnglìliànghéhǎoyùnIn Chinese culture the dragon symbolizes strength and good luck.
- 你觉得真的有龙吗？nǐjuédezhēndeyǒulóngmaDo you think dragons really exist?
- 龙只是一个传说，在现实中并不存在。lóngzhǐshìyígèchuánshuō,zàixiànshízhōngbìngbùcúnzàiThe dragon is just a legend; it doesn't exist in reality.
That reputation has a practical side. The Dragon is the most popular birth year: in Chinese communities many families hope for a "dragon baby", and Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore have all seen births go up in Dragon years.
Words and idioms with the dragon
- 龙年lóngniánthe Year of the Dragon
- 望子成龙wàngzǐchénglóng"to hope your son becomes a dragon"to want your child to succeed in life
- 画龙点睛huàlóngdiǎnjīng"to paint the eyes on a dragon"the finishing touch that brings a thing to life
- 生龙活虎shēnglónghuóhǔ"a living dragon, a lively tiger"full of energy
- 龙舟lóngzhōudragon boatraced at the Dragon Boat Festival
- 舞龙wǔlóngthe dragon dance
- 恐龙kǒnglóngdinosaurliterally "terrifying dragon"
- 龙虾lóngxiālobsterliterally "dragon shrimp"
- 水龙头shuǐlóngtóufaucet, tapliterally "water dragon head"
望子成龙 is something you'll hear from Chinese parents, often with a sigh: it's the hope that a child does well at school and in life. Its partner for daughters is 望女成凤 wàng nǚ chéng fèng, "to hope your daughter becomes a phoenix". And 画龙点睛 goes back to a legend about a painter whose dragons flew off the wall the moment he added their eyes. A good last sentence in an essay, a well-chosen title, the right detail in a design: that's the dot in the dragon's eye.
How to say "I'm a Dragon" in Chinese
Use the verb plus the animal: 我属龙. Several of these sentences have a recording:
- 我属龙。wǒshǔlóngI'm a Dragon.
- 你属什么？nǐshǔshénmeWhat's your zodiac sign?
- 我和姐姐都属龙。wǒhéjiějiedōushǔlóngMy older sister and I are both Dragons.
- 他是龙年出生的。tāshìlóngniánchūshēngdeHe was born in the Year of the Dragon.
In 我和姐姐都属龙 the two sisters are both Dragons, so they're either the same age or exactly twelve years apart: that's 一轮 yì lún, "one round". This is why the question 你属什么？ is a tactful way of asking someone's age. The formal word for a zodiac sign is .
Dragon personality in Chinese tradition
Folklore makes the Dragon confident, ambitious and full of energy, a natural leader who likes to be noticed and who can be proud and impatient. Of all the signs it's the one parents are happiest to see: the dragon is , a symbol of power and luck.
The element changes with the year: Wood Dragons (1964, 2024), Fire Dragons (1976, 2036), Earth Dragons (1928, 1988), Metal Dragons (1940, 2000) and Water Dragons (1952, 2012). Fortune-tellers read the element as a shade of the same character: a Fire Dragon more fiery still, a Water Dragon cooler and more flexible. Each pairing returns every sixty years.
Dragon compatibility
In Chinese tradition the Dragon gets along best with the Monkey (猴) and the Rat (鼠): together the three form a "harmony", 三合 sānhé, of signs four years apart. Its opposite on the circle is the Dog (狗); the branches 辰 and 戌 make a "clash", 六冲 liùchōng. Take it as tradition, not as advice.
The Dragon's own year: 本命年
Your 本命年 běnmìngnián is the year of your own animal, and in Chinese belief it's a year to be careful in, not to celebrate. The remedy is : red socks, a red belt or a red string bracelet. Dragons' next one is the Fire Dragon year 2036, from January 28, 2036 to February 14, 2037.
The 12 Chinese zodiac animals
Every animal and year side by side: the Chinese zodiac chart. The holiday itself, with its dragon dances and red envelopes: Chinese New Year. What to say to people on the day: Chinese New Year greetings.
Say your sign in Chinese
In the course you go from pinyin and tones to real sentences like 我属龙, with native recordings and speaking practice. Free during the beta.
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