Born in 2012: the Dragon
A Yang Water Dragon 🐉
Dragons think big, inspire others, and carry natural authority. They are confident, lucky in opportunity, and unafraid of a hard goal. As a Water-element year, 2012 adds a adaptable, perceptive and persuasive streak to the usual Dragon character.
The 2012 lunar year ran from January 23, 2012 to February 10, 2013. If you were born on or after January 23, 2012 you are a Dragon; if you were born earlier in 2012, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Rabbit.
What the Water element adds
Water is the element of winter, depth and adaptability. A Water year makes an animal more intuitive and persuasive, better at reading people and bending around obstacles rather than confronting them head-on.
The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Water Dragon year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2012 was 1952, and the next is 2072. People born in it are said to combine ambitious and energetic with the element's adaptable nature. Its Yin/Yang polarity is fixed as Yang for every Dragon year. See the Water element and the full Water Dragon profile.
2012 at a glance
| Animal | 🐉 Dragon (龙) |
|---|---|
| Element | Water |
| Polarity | Yang |
| Best match | Rooster |
| Hardest match | Dog |
| Lucky numbers | 1, 6, 7 |
| Lucky colors | gold, silver, gray |
Dragon compatibility
In the traditional chart, a 2012 Dragon gets on best with the Rooster (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Rat and Monkey. The hardest pairing is the Dog, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Dragon compatibility table.
Your zodiac years
The Dragon returns every 12 years, so someone born in 2012 is back in their own zodiac year in 2024, 2036, 2048, 2060 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 Dragon years
1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2024 2036
Full Dragon personality profile → Dragon compatibility with every sign →
Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac sign is 2012?
2012 is the year of the Dragon (Water Dragon, Yang polarity). Anyone born on or after January 23, 2012 is a Dragon; a birthday earlier in 2012 belongs to the previous sign, the Rabbit.
What element is the 2012 zodiac year?
2012 is a Water-element year. Water is the element of winter, depth and adaptability. A Water year makes an animal more intuitive and persuasive, better at reading people and bending around obstacles rather than confronting them head-on.
Who is a 2012 Dragon most compatible with?
Best matches are the Rooster (the "secret friend"), plus the Rat and Monkey. The hardest match is the Dog.
Is 2012 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 2012 is not a Fire Horse year.