Born in 2018: the Dog
A Yang Earth Dog 🐕
Dogs have a strong sense of right and wrong and will stand up for a friend or a principle. They are sincere, reliable, and modest. As a Earth-element year, 2018 adds a grounded, practical and patient streak to the usual Dog character.
The 2018 lunar year ran from February 16, 2018 to February 5, 2019. If you were born on or after February 16, 2018 you are a Dog; if you were born earlier in 2018, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Rooster.
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 Dog year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2018 was 1958, and the next is 2078. People born in it are said to combine loyal and honest with the element's grounded nature. Its Yin/Yang polarity is fixed as Yang for every Dog year. See the Earth element and the full Earth Dog profile.
2018 at a glance
| Animal | 🐕 Dog (狗) |
|---|---|
| Element | Earth |
| Polarity | Yang |
| Best match | Rabbit |
| Hardest match | Dragon |
| Lucky numbers | 3, 4, 9 |
| Lucky colors | green, red, purple |
Dog compatibility
In the traditional chart, a 2018 Dog gets on best with the Rabbit (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Tiger and Horse. The hardest pairing is the Dragon, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Dog compatibility table.
Your zodiac years
The Dog returns every 12 years, so someone born in 2018 is back in their own zodiac year in 2030, 2042, 2054, 2066 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 Dog years
1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 2030 2042
Full Dog personality profile → Dog compatibility with every sign →
Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac sign is 2018?
2018 is the year of the Dog (Earth Dog, Yang polarity). Anyone born on or after February 16, 2018 is a Dog; a birthday earlier in 2018 belongs to the previous sign, the Rooster.
What element is the 2018 zodiac year?
2018 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 2018 Dog most compatible with?
Best matches are the Rabbit (the "secret friend"), plus the Tiger and Horse. The hardest match is the Dragon.
Is 2018 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 2018 is not a Fire Horse year.