1988 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Dragon

1988 is the Year of the Earth Dragon — a Yang Earth year. The animal sign is the Dragon, the fifth of the 12-animal cycle.

1988 carries the Earth element (Yang Earth). Element is set by the year's heavenly stem and cycles every 10 years, so the full Earth Dragon combination returns only once every 60 years.

Those born in 1988, the Year of the Dragon, are traditionally described as confident, ambitious, and charismatic. With the Earth element added, stability, patience, and practicality 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 1988, before that year's Chinese New Year, is actually a Rabbit (the 1987 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.