Born in 1987: the Rabbit
A Yin Fire Rabbit 🐇
Rabbits are calm, kind, and socially graceful. They avoid conflict, read a room well, and have good taste in design and detail. As a Fire-element year, 1987 adds a dynamic, warm and a little restless streak to the usual Rabbit character.
The 1987 lunar year ran from January 29, 1987 to February 17, 1988. If you were born on or after January 29, 1987 you are a Rabbit; if you were born earlier in 1987, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Tiger.
What the Fire element adds
Fire is the element of summer, energy and passion. A Fire year turns the volume up — more drive, more warmth, more willingness to take a risk — but also a shorter fuse and less patience for slow, routine work.
The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Fire Rabbit year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1987 was 1927, and the next is 2047. People born in it are said to combine gentle and tactful with the element's dynamic nature. Its Yin/Yang polarity is fixed as Yin for every Rabbit year. See the Fire element and the full Fire Rabbit profile.
1987 at a glance
| Animal | 🐇 Rabbit (兔) |
|---|---|
| Element | Fire |
| Polarity | Yin |
| Best match | Dog |
| Hardest match | Rooster |
| Lucky numbers | 3, 4, 6 |
| Lucky colors | pink, red, purple, blue |
Rabbit compatibility
In the traditional chart, a 1987 Rabbit gets on best with the Dog (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Goat and Pig. The hardest pairing is the Rooster, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Rabbit compatibility table.
Your zodiac years
The Rabbit returns every 12 years, so someone born in 1987 is back in their own zodiac year in 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035 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 Rabbit years
1939 1951 1963 1975 1999 2011 2023 2035
Full Rabbit personality profile → Rabbit compatibility with every sign →
Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac sign is 1987?
1987 is the year of the Rabbit (Fire Rabbit, Yin polarity). Anyone born on or after January 29, 1987 is a Rabbit; a birthday earlier in 1987 belongs to the previous sign, the Tiger.
What element is the 1987 zodiac year?
1987 is a Fire-element year. Fire is the element of summer, energy and passion. A Fire year turns the volume up — more drive, more warmth, more willingness to take a risk — but also a shorter fuse and less patience for slow, routine work.
Who is a 1987 Rabbit most compatible with?
Best matches are the Dog (the "secret friend"), plus the Goat and Pig. The hardest match is the Rooster.
Is 1987 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 1987 is not a Fire Horse year.