1940 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Dragon

1940 is the Year of the Metal Dragon — a Yang Metal year. The animal sign is the Dragon, the fifth of the 12-animal cycle.

1940 carries the Metal element (Yang Metal). Element is set by the year's heavenly stem and cycles every 10 years, so the full Metal Dragon combination returns only once every 60 years.

Those born in 1940, the Year of the Dragon, are traditionally described as confident, ambitious, and charismatic. With the Metal element added, determination, structure, and resilience are emphasised.

The Dragon is traditionally most compatible with the Rat, Monkey, Rooster.

Almost — but the Chinese zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year (late January or early February), not January 1. So someone born in early 1940, before that year's Chinese New Year, is actually a Rabbit (the 1939 sign). If your birthday is in late January or early February, enter your full date of birth in the Age Calculator to confirm your exact sign.