Born in 1981: the Rooster
A Yin Metal Rooster 🐓
Roosters are organized, punctual, and honest to the point of bluntness. They notice detail others miss and take pride in doing a job well. As a Metal-element year, 1981 adds a determined, disciplined and self-reliant streak to the usual Rooster character.
The 1981 lunar year ran from February 5, 1981 to January 25, 1982. If you were born on or after February 5, 1981 you are a Rooster; if you were born earlier in 1981, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Monkey.
What the Metal element adds
Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve. A Metal year sharpens focus and independence: a Metal animal knows what it wants and pursues it directly, sometimes at the cost of flexibility.
The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Metal Rooster year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1981 was 1921, and the next is 2041. People born in it are said to combine observant and hardworking with the element's determined nature. Its Yin/Yang polarity is fixed as Yin for every Rooster year. See the Metal element and the full Metal Rooster profile.
1981 at a glance
| Animal | 🐓 Rooster (鸡) |
|---|---|
| Element | Metal |
| Polarity | Yin |
| Best match | Dragon |
| Hardest match | Rabbit |
| Lucky numbers | 5, 7, 8 |
| Lucky colors | gold, brown, yellow |
Rooster compatibility
In the traditional chart, a 1981 Rooster gets on best with the Dragon (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Ox and Snake. The hardest pairing is the Rabbit, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Rooster compatibility table.
Your zodiac years
The Rooster returns every 12 years, so someone born in 1981 is back in their own zodiac year in 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 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 Rooster years
1933 1945 1957 1969 1993 2005 2017 2029 2041
Full Rooster personality profile → Rooster compatibility with every sign →
Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac sign is 1981?
1981 is the year of the Rooster (Metal Rooster, Yin polarity). Anyone born on or after February 5, 1981 is a Rooster; a birthday earlier in 1981 belongs to the previous sign, the Monkey.
What element is the 1981 zodiac year?
1981 is a Metal-element year. Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve. A Metal year sharpens focus and independence: a Metal animal knows what it wants and pursues it directly, sometimes at the cost of flexibility.
Who is a 1981 Rooster most compatible with?
Best matches are the Dragon (the "secret friend"), plus the Ox and Snake. The hardest match is the Rabbit.
Is 1981 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 1981 is not a Fire Horse year.