戊戌

2018: the year of the Earth Dog (戊戌)

In Korean saju, 2018 is the year of 戊戌 (Mu-sul). The top character, 戊, is yang Earth, and the bottom character, 戌, is the Dog. Together they make 2018 the year of the Earth Dog. The saju year starts at Ipchun on February 4, 2018 at 06:28 Korea time and runs until February 4, 2019.

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2018 at a glance

Year pair: 戊戌 · Mu-sul
Element: Earth (yang)
Animal: Dog
Old poetic name: 平地木 · Open-field wood
Saju year starts: February 4, 2018 06:28
Ends: February 4, 2019
Age in 2027: turns 9

Born in January or early February 2018?

The saju year changes at Ipchun, February 4, 2018 at 06:28 Korea time. If you were born before that moment, your year pair is 丁酉: you belong to 2017, the year of the Fire Rooster.

Many zodiac sites switch the animal at Lunar New Year instead, which fell on February 16 in 2018, after Ipchun. So for birthdays from Ipchun until the day before February 16, saju already says Dog while those sites still say Rooster.

The two characters of 戊戌

戊Mu · a solid hill of earth — earth that holds things steady
戌Sul · Dog · a dry ridge in late autumn

The Earth element of 2018

The top character decides the year’s element, so 2018 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 2018 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 戊戌 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 5
戊午Mu-o	June 6
己未Gi-mi	July 7
庚申Gyeong-sin	August 7
辛酉Sin-yu	September 8
壬戌Im-sul	October 8
癸亥Gye-hae	November 7
甲子Gap-ja	December 7
乙丑Eul-chuk	January 6, 2019

The Dog in zodiac compatibility

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

The Dog 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: Punishment (刑) · Break (破)

2027 outlook for the Dog →

Other Dog years

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

The exact pair 戊戌 returns every 60 years: 1958 and 2078.

Read 戊戌 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 2018? 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 2018

What Chinese zodiac animal is 2018?

2018 is the year of the Dog, and more exactly the Earth Dog (戊戌). In saju the year runs from Ipchun on February 4, 2018 to February 4, 2019.

What element is 2018?

Earth. The top character 戊 is yang Earth, and that is the year’s element. The bottom character 戌 adds Earth.

I was born in January 2018. What is my sign?

Before Ipchun (February 4, 2018, 06:28 Korea time) you belong to the year before: 丁酉, the Fire Rooster of 2017. 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.