Year of the Ox: years, personality and 牛 in Chinese

October 21, 2026 · 6 min read

The Ox is the second animal of the Chinese zodiac, right after the Rat. Ox years include 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021; the next one is 2033. If your birthday is in January or February, read the dates carefully: the zodiac year starts on Chinese New Year, somewhere between late January and mid-February, not on January 1.

The Ox should really have come first. In the folk tale of the Great Race, the Jade Emperor promised the twelve places in the calendar to the first animals to cross a river and reach him. The Ox set off early and swam steadily across, but the Rat had climbed onto its back. Just before the finish, the Rat jumped ahead and took first place. The Ox didn't complain and settled for second, which is exactly the character Chinese tradition gives it: strong, patient and honest, if not the quickest at spotting a trick.

Years of the Ox

Here is every Ox year from 1925 to 2033, with the day it started, the day it ended and its element.

"Ox" in Chinese: 牛

The Ox is 牛 niú, one of the oldest characters in the language. On the oracle bones, more than three thousand years ago, it was a drawing of the animal's head with two horns. Unlike the Rat or the Tiger, the Ox needs no longer everyday word: 牛 niú — cow, ox, bull is what people say at the market, on the farm and at the zodiac stall alike.

To pronounce it, think of "new" with a tiny "o" slipped in: "nyoh", said with the second tone, rising like a surprised question, "new?". The spelling hides a vowel: pinyin iu is short for iou, so you do hear a short "o" in the middle.

Is it an ox, a cow, a bull or a buffalo? In Chinese the question barely comes up, because 牛 covers the whole family. When it matters, you add a word in front: 公牛 gōngniú is a bull, 母牛 mǔniú a cow, 奶牛 nǎiniú a dairy cow, 水牛 shuǐniú a water buffalo. That's why you'll see the sign translated as Ox, Cow or Buffalo in different books: they're all the same 牛.

Among the twelve "earthly branches" the Ox is the second, 丑 chǒu — the Ox branch. It's in the names of all Ox years: the 2021 year was 辛丑. A curious detail: in simplified characters the same 丑 also means "ugly", because an old character for "ugly" was merged into it. The Ox's hours on the traditional clock are from 1 to 3 a.m., 丑时 chǒushí.

Words and idioms with 牛

牛 hides in some very ordinary words. You probably drink one of them every morning and wear another.

• 牛奶niúnǎimilkliterally "cow milk"
• 牛仔裤niúzǎikùjeansliterally "cowboy trousers"
• 蜗牛wōniúsnailit has "horns" too
• 吹牛chuīniúto brag, to talk bigshort for 吹牛皮, "to blow up an ox hide"

Beef is 牛肉 niúròu, "ox meat", and the famous Lanzhou noodles come in a bowl of 牛肉面 niúròu miàn, beef noodle soup.

Then there's slang. In casual speech 牛 means "awesome, impressive, a real pro". You'll hear it all the time among young people, about a great goal, a clever hack or a friend who passed HSK 5 on the first try. Stick to 牛 and 很牛: the longer slang versions are vulgar. More words like this are in Chinese slang.

• 很牛hěnniúawesome, really impressive (slang)about a person or a thing: 他很牛 "he's amazing"
• 对牛弹琴duìniútánqínto waste words on the wrong audienceliterally "to play the zither to an ox"; like "casting pearls before swine"
• 九牛一毛jiǔniúyìmáoa drop in the oceanliterally "one hair from nine oxen"

A few everyday sentences with native recordings:

• 牛和羊都吃草。niúhéyángdōuchīcǎoCows and sheep both eat grass.
• 我想吃牛肉。wǒxiǎngchīniúròuI'd like some beef.
• 这条牛仔裤有点儿长。zhètiáoniúzǎikùyǒudiǎnrchángThese jeans are a bit long.

How to say "I'm an Ox" in Chinese

Your zodiac sign goes with the verb 属 shǔ — to be born in the year of, followed by the animal in one syllable. "I'm an Ox" is simply 我属牛 wǒ shǔ niú, and the Year of the Ox is 牛年 niú nián.

• 你属什么？nǐshǔshénmeWhat's your zodiac sign?
• 我属牛。wǒshǔniúI'm an Ox.
• 他比我大一轮，我们都属牛。tābǐwǒdàyìlún,wǒmendōushǔniúHe's twelve years older than me; we're both Oxen.

That last sentence shows why the question is so useful in China. Your sign plus a rough look at your face tells people your age: if two people are both Oxen but clearly not the same age, they're one "round" apart, 一轮 yì lún, twelve years. The zodiac sign itself is 生肖 shēngxiào — Chinese zodiac sign.

The Ox's slang meaning makes its New Year greeting especially cheerful. In an Ox year people wish each other 牛气冲天 niúqì chōngtiān, "ox power soaring to the sky", which is half "strength and vigor" and half "may everything go awesomely".

Ox personality in Chinese tradition

The Ox is the sign of the hard worker. People born in Ox years are said to be patient, reliable, honest and calm, the kind of person who finishes what they start and doesn't need to be noticed for it. The flip side, tradition says, is stubbornness: an Ox doesn't change its mind easily and doesn't like surprises. There's even a phrase for the tireless, uncomplaining worker every office depends on: 老黄牛 lǎo huángniú, "the old yellow ox". It's folklore, of course, not a personality test.

The element of the year adds a shade, again by tradition. The Metal Ox (1961 and 2021) is said to be the most determined; the Water Ox (1973 and 2033) the most patient and adaptable; the Wood Ox (1925 and 1985) the most open and fair; the Fire Ox (1937 and 1997) the most energetic and outspoken; the Earth Ox (1949 and 2009) the steadiest of all. You can find the element of any Ox year in the table above.

Ox compatibility

In Chinese tradition the Ox gets along best with the Snake and the Rooster. Together the three form a "trine", 三合 sānhé: signs four years apart that are thought to share a rhythm. The traditional clash is with the Goat, the sign six years away on the opposite side of the circle, a pairing called 六冲 liùchōng. Older relatives may still mention it at a wedding; most couples just laugh about it.

The Ox's own year: 本命年

Every twelve years your animal comes round again, and that year is your 本命年 běnmìngnián. Tradition holds it's a risky year rather than a lucky one, and the protection is red: red socks, a red belt or a red string on the wrist, often given by parents or a partner. For people born in Ox years the next one is 2033, the year of the Water Ox, starting on January 31, 2033.

The 12 Chinese zodiac animals

The Ox is second of twelve. Pick any other sign to see its years and its words in Chinese.

• 鼠 Rat
• 牛 Ox
• 虎 Tiger
• 兔 Rabbit
• 龙 Dragon
• 蛇 Snake
• 马 Horse
• 羊 Goat
• 猴 Monkey
• 鸡 Rooster
• 狗 Dog
• 猪 Pig

For all the animals and years side by side, see the Chinese zodiac years chart. How the year itself begins is in the article on Chinese New Year, and the phrases for the day are in Chinese New Year greetings.