己酉

1969: the year of the Earth Rooster (己酉)

In Korean saju, 1969 is the year of 己酉 (Gi-yu). The top character, 己, is yin Earth, and the bottom character, 酉, is the Rooster. Together they make 1969 the year of the Earth Rooster. The saju year starts at Ipchun on February 4, 1969 at 08:58 Korea time and runs until February 4, 1970.

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1969 at a glance

Year pair: 己酉 · Gi-yu
Element: Earth (yin)
Animal: Rooster
Old poetic name: 大驛土 · Highway earth
Saju year starts: February 4, 1969 08:58
Ends: February 4, 1970
Age in 2027: turns 58

Born in January or early February 1969?

The saju year changes at Ipchun, February 4, 1969 at 08:58 Korea time. If you were born before that moment, your year pair is 戊申: you belong to 1968, the year of the Earth Monkey.

Many zodiac sites switch the animal at Lunar New Year instead, which fell on February 17 in 1969, after Ipchun. So for birthdays from Ipchun until the day before February 17, saju already says Rooster while those sites still say Monkey.

The two characters of 己酉

己Gi · garden soil holding seeds — earth where anything can grow
酉Yu · Rooster · sharp metal in mid-autumn

The Earth element of 1969

The top character decides the year’s element, so 1969 is a Earth year. When Earth energy is strong, it tends to feel like this: You feel grounded, patient, and able to hold things together for everyone.

Color: Yellow
Food: Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and whole grains
Direction: Center
Activity: Tidying your room or gardening

This is your birth-year element. In saju, your core element comes from your birth day instead (the day master), and it can be different. A free saju card shows yours.

Month pillars of the 1969 saju year

In saju, each month also has a pair, and it starts on a solar term, not on the 1st. These are the twelve months of 己酉 with their start dates (Korea date). Your birth month’s pair is one of your four pillars.

Month pair	Starts
丙寅Byeong-in	February 4
丁卯Jeong-myo	March 6
戊辰Mu-jin	April 5
己巳Gi-sa	May 6
庚午Gyeong-o	June 6
辛未Sin-mi	July 7
壬申Im-sin	August 8
癸酉Gye-yu	September 8
甲戌Gap-sul	October 8
乙亥Eul-hae	November 7
丙子Byeong-ja	December 7
丁丑Jeong-chuk	January 6, 1970

The Rooster in zodiac compatibility

By the branch tables, the Rooster’s closest match is the Dragon (six harmony). Its team of three adds the Snake and Ox. Its opposite sign, the Rabbit, is a clash pair, read as different rhythms rather than bad luck.

The Rooster in 2027

Fire controls your Metal. The year tends to feel like structure: rules, deadlines, other people’s expectations. Clear priorities usually help.

Ties with 丁未: No main combination or clash with 未 this year.

2027 outlook for the Rooster →

Other Rooster years

The Rooster comes back every 12 years, but the element on top changes each time:

The exact pair 己酉 returns every 60 years: 1909 and 2029.

Read 己酉 as a day pillar →

How to read this

Your birth year is one pillar out of four. Your birth month, day and hour usually say more about you than the year does. Use this page for facts and fun, then check the full chart.

Born in 1969? See your whole chart

Your year is one pillar. Add your birthday for a free saju card with all four, worked out on your device.

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Questions about 1969

What Chinese zodiac animal is 1969?

1969 is the year of the Rooster, and more exactly the Earth Rooster (己酉). In saju the year runs from Ipchun on February 4, 1969 to February 4, 1970.

What element is 1969?

Earth. The top character 己 is yin Earth, and that is the year’s element. The bottom character 酉 adds Metal.

I was born in January 1969. What is my sign?

Before Ipchun (February 4, 1969, 08:58 Korea time) you belong to the year before: 戊申, the Earth Monkey of 1968. Check your exact time if you were born that day.

Is my birth-year element my saju element?

Not exactly. The year element describes your birth year. Saju reads your core self from your birth-day character (the day master), which needs your full birth date.