Born in 1989: the Snake
A Yin Earth Snake 🐍
Snakes are deep thinkers who plan quietly and rarely waste a move. They are perceptive about people and financially shrewd. As a Earth-element year, 1989 adds a grounded, practical and patient streak to the usual Snake character.
The 1989 lunar year ran from February 6, 1989 to January 27, 1990. If you were born on or after February 6, 1989 you are a Snake; if you were born earlier in 1989, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Dragon.
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 Snake year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1989 was 1929, and the next is 2049. People born in it are said to combine wise and private with the element's grounded nature. Its Yin/Yang polarity is fixed as Yin for every Snake year. See the Earth element and the full Earth Snake profile.
1989 at a glance
| Animal | 🐍 Snake (蛇) |
|---|---|
| Element | Earth |
| Polarity | Yin |
| Best match | Monkey |
| Hardest match | Pig |
| Lucky numbers | 2, 8, 9 |
| Lucky colors | red, light yellow, black |
Snake compatibility
In the traditional chart, a 1989 Snake gets on best with the Monkey (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Ox and Rooster. The hardest pairing is the Pig, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Snake compatibility table.
Your zodiac years
The Snake returns every 12 years, so someone born in 1989 is back in their own zodiac year in 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037 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 Snake years
1941 1953 1965 1977 2001 2013 2025 2037
Full Snake personality profile → Snake compatibility with every sign →
Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac sign is 1989?
1989 is the year of the Snake (Earth Snake, Yin polarity). Anyone born on or after February 6, 1989 is a Snake; a birthday earlier in 1989 belongs to the previous sign, the Dragon.
What element is the 1989 zodiac year?
1989 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 1989 Snake most compatible with?
Best matches are the Monkey (the "secret friend"), plus the Ox and Rooster. The hardest match is the Pig.
Is 1989 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 1989 is not a Fire Horse year.