Born in 2010: the Tiger
A Yang Metal 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 Metal-element year, 2010 adds a determined, disciplined and self-reliant streak to the usual Tiger character.
The 2010 lunar year ran from February 14, 2010 to February 3, 2011. If you were born on or after February 14, 2010 you are a Tiger; if you were born earlier in 2010, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Ox.
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 Tiger year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2010 was 1950, and the next is 2070. People born in it are said to combine brave and confident with the element's determined nature. Its Yin/Yang polarity is fixed as Yang for every Tiger year. See the Metal element and the full Metal Tiger profile.
2010 at a glance
| Animal | 🐅 Tiger (虎) |
|---|---|
| Element | Metal |
| 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 2010 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 2010 is back in their own zodiac year in 2022, 2034, 2046, 2058 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
1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 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 2010?
2010 is the year of the Tiger (Metal Tiger, Yang polarity). Anyone born on or after February 14, 2010 is a Tiger; a birthday earlier in 2010 belongs to the previous sign, the Ox.
What element is the 2010 zodiac year?
2010 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 2010 Tiger most compatible with?
Best matches are the Pig (the "secret friend"), plus the Horse and Dog. The hardest match is the Monkey.
Is 2010 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 2010 is not a Fire Horse year.