Born in 1938: the Tiger
A Yang Earth Tiger 🐅
Tigers are natural leaders who take charge in a crisis and defend the people they care about. They are generous and rarely hold a grudge. As a Earth-element year, 1938 adds a grounded, practical and patient streak to the usual Tiger character.
The 1938 lunar year ran from January 31, 1938 to February 19, 1939. If you were born on or after January 31, 1938 you are a Tiger; if you were born earlier in 1938, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Ox.
What the Earth element adds
Earth is the element of the harvest, stability and realism. An Earth year makes an animal steadier and more dependable, focused on security and the long game, though it can also make it slower to change course.
The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Earth Tiger year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1938 was 1878, and the next is 1998. People born in it are said to combine brave and confident with the element's grounded nature. Its Yin/Yang polarity is fixed as Yang for every Tiger year. See the Earth element and the full Earth Tiger profile.
1938 at a glance
| Animal | 🐅 Tiger (虎) |
|---|---|
| Element | Earth |
| Polarity | Yang |
| Best match | Pig |
| Hardest match | Monkey |
| Lucky numbers | 1, 3, 4 |
| Lucky colors | blue, gray, orange |
Tiger compatibility
In the traditional chart, a 1938 Tiger gets on best with the Pig (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Horse and Dog. The hardest pairing is the Monkey, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Tiger compatibility table.
Your zodiac years
The Tiger returns every 12 years, so someone born in 1938 is back in their own zodiac year in 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986 and so on. Tradition calls this your běnmìngnián — despite being "your" year, it is thought to clash with Tài Suì (the God of Age) and to carry a higher chance of setbacks, so many people wear red through it for protection.
Other Tiger years
1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 2022 2034
Full Tiger personality profile → Tiger compatibility with every sign →
Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac sign is 1938?
1938 is the year of the Tiger (Earth Tiger, Yang polarity). Anyone born on or after January 31, 1938 is a Tiger; a birthday earlier in 1938 belongs to the previous sign, the Ox.
What element is the 1938 zodiac year?
1938 is a Earth-element year. Earth is the element of the harvest, stability and realism. An Earth year makes an animal steadier and more dependable, focused on security and the long game, though it can also make it slower to change course.
Who is a 1938 Tiger most compatible with?
Best matches are the Pig (the "secret friend"), plus the Horse and Dog. The hardest match is the Monkey.
Is 1938 a lucky year to be born in?
Chinese tradition does not rank whole years as lucky or unlucky to be born in — every animal has strengths and weaknesses. The one combination widely treated with caution is the Fire Horse, and 1938 is not a Fire Horse year.