癸未

2003: the year of the Water Goat (癸未)

In Korean saju, 2003 is the year of 癸未 (Gye-mi). The top character, 癸, is yin Water, and the bottom character, 未, is the Goat. Together they make 2003 the year of the Water Goat. The saju year starts at Ipchun on February 4, 2003 at 15:05 Korea time and runs until February 4, 2004.

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2003 at a glance

Year pair: 癸未 · Gye-mi
Element: Water (yin)
Animal: Goat
Old poetic name: 楊柳木 · Willow wood
Saju year starts: February 4, 2003 15:05
Ends: February 4, 2004
Age in 2027: turns 24

Born in January or early February 2003?

The saju year changes at Ipchun, February 4, 2003 at 15:05 Korea time. If you were born before that moment, your year pair is 壬午: you belong to 2002, the year of the Water Horse.

Many zodiac sites switch the animal at Lunar New Year instead, which fell on February 1 in 2003. So for birthdays from February 1 until just before Ipchun, those sites already say Goat while saju still says Horse.

The two characters of 癸未

癸Gye · quiet rain soaking in — water that refreshes dry ground
未Mi · Goat · dry earth in late summer

The Water element of 2003

The top character decides the year’s element, so 2003 is a Water year. When Water energy is strong, it tends to feel like this: You feel wise, calm, and open to new ideas flowing in.

Color: Navy or black
Food: Black beans, seaweed, and fresh seafood
Direction: North
Activity: Taking a relaxing bath or journaling quietly

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 2003 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 癸未 with their start dates (Korea date). Your birth month’s pair is one of your four pillars.

Month pair	Starts
甲寅Gap-in	February 4
乙卯Eul-myo	March 6
丙辰Byeong-jin	April 5
丁巳Jeong-sa	May 6
戊午Mu-o	June 6
己未Gi-mi	July 7
庚申Gyeong-sin	August 8
辛酉Sin-yu	September 8
壬戌Im-sul	October 9
癸亥Gye-hae	November 8
甲子Gap-ja	December 7
乙丑Eul-chuk	January 6, 2004

The Goat in zodiac compatibility

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

The Goat in 2027

Fire feeds your Earth. The year tends to feel supportive: learning, help from others, time to recharge. The catch is getting too comfortable.

Ties with 丁未: Your own sign’s year

2027 outlook for the Goat →

Other Goat years

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

The exact pair 癸未 returns every 60 years: 1943 and 2063.

Read 癸未 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 2003? 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 2003

What Chinese zodiac animal is 2003?

2003 is the year of the Goat, and more exactly the Water Goat (癸未). In saju the year runs from Ipchun on February 4, 2003 to February 4, 2004.

What element is 2003?

Water. The top character 癸 is yin Water, and that is the year’s element. The bottom character 未 adds Earth.

I was born in January 2003. What is my sign?

Before Ipchun (February 4, 2003, 15:05 Korea time) you belong to the year before: 壬午, the Water Horse of 2002. 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.