Born in 2001: the Snake
A Yin Metal Snake 🐍
Snakes are deep thinkers who plan quietly and rarely waste a move. They are perceptive about people and financially shrewd. As a Metal-element year, 2001 adds a determined, disciplined and self-reliant streak to the usual Snake character.
The 2001 lunar year ran from January 24, 2001 to February 12, 2002. If you were born on or after January 24, 2001 you are a Snake; if you were born earlier in 2001, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Dragon.
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 Snake year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2001 was 1941, and the next is 2061. People born in it are said to combine wise and private with the element's determined nature. Its Yin/Yang polarity is fixed as Yin for every Snake year. See the Metal element and the full Metal Snake profile.
2001 at a glance
| Animal | 🐍 Snake (蛇) |
|---|---|
| Element | Metal |
| 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 2001 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 2001 is back in their own zodiac year in 2013, 2025, 2037, 2049 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 1989 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 2001?
2001 is the year of the Snake (Metal Snake, Yin polarity). Anyone born on or after January 24, 2001 is a Snake; a birthday earlier in 2001 belongs to the previous sign, the Dragon.
What element is the 2001 zodiac year?
2001 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 2001 Snake most compatible with?
Best matches are the Monkey (the "secret friend"), plus the Ox and Rooster. The hardest match is the Pig.
Is 2001 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 2001 is not a Fire Horse year.