庚午

1990: the year of the Metal Horse (庚午)

In Korean saju, 1990 is the year of 庚午 (Gyeong-o). The top character, 庚, is yang Metal, and the bottom character, 午, is the Horse. Together they make 1990 the year of the Metal Horse. The saju year starts at Ipchun on February 4, 1990 at 11:14 Korea time and runs until February 4, 1991.

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1990 at a glance

Year pair: 庚午 · Gyeong-o
Element: Metal (yang)
Animal: Horse
Old poetic name: 路傍土 · Roadside earth
Saju year starts: February 4, 1990 11:14
Ends: February 4, 1991
Age in 2027: turns 37

Born in January or early February 1990?

The saju year changes at Ipchun, February 4, 1990 at 11:14 Korea time. If you were born before that moment, your year pair is 己巳: you belong to 1989, the year of the Earth Snake.

Many zodiac sites switch the animal at Lunar New Year instead, which fell on January 27 in 1990. So for birthdays from January 27 until just before Ipchun, those sites already say Horse while saju still says Snake.

The two characters of 庚午

庚Gyeong · uncut raw ore — tough, sturdy metal
午O · Horse · blazing heat in midsummer

The Metal element of 1990

The top character decides the year’s element, so 1990 is a Metal year. When Metal energy is strong, it tends to feel like this: You feel clear-headed, decisive, and ready to finish what you started.

Color: White
Food: Pears, radish, and white rice
Direction: West
Activity: Organizing your desk or taking deep breaths in fresh air

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 1990 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 庚午 with their start dates (Korea date). Your birth month’s pair is one of your four pillars.

Month pair	Starts
戊寅Mu-in	February 4
己卯Gi-myo	March 6
庚辰Gyeong-jin	April 5
辛巳Sin-sa	May 6
壬午Im-o	June 6
癸未Gye-mi	July 7
甲申Gap-sin	August 8
乙酉Eul-yu	September 8
丙戌Byeong-sul	October 8
丁亥Jeong-hae	November 8
戊子Mu-ja	December 7
己丑Gi-chuk	January 6, 1991

The Horse in zodiac compatibility

By the branch tables, the Horse’s closest match is the Goat (six harmony). Its team of three adds the Tiger and Dog. Its opposite sign, the Rat, is a clash pair, read as different rhythms rather than bad luck.

The Horse in 2027

Same element. Same-element years tend to bring more company and more comparison, so allies and rivals both show up.

Ties with 丁未: Six harmony (六合)

2027 outlook for the Horse →

Other Horse years

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

The exact pair 庚午 returns every 60 years: 1930 and 2050.

Read 庚午 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 1990? 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 1990

What Chinese zodiac animal is 1990?

1990 is the year of the Horse, and more exactly the Metal Horse (庚午). In saju the year runs from Ipchun on February 4, 1990 to February 4, 1991.

What element is 1990?

Metal. The top character 庚 is yang Metal, and that is the year’s element. The bottom character 午 adds Fire.

I was born in January 1990. What is my sign?

Before Ipchun (February 4, 1990, 11:14 Korea time) you belong to the year before: 己巳, the Earth Snake of 1989. 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.