2021: the year of the Metal Ox (辛丑)
In Korean saju, 2021 is the year of 辛丑 (Sin-chuk). The top character, 辛, is yin Metal, and the bottom character, 丑, is the Ox. Together they make 2021 the year of the Metal Ox. The saju year starts at Ipchun on February 3, 2021 at 23:58 Korea time and runs until February 4, 2022.
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2021 at a glance
- Year pair
- 辛丑 · Sin-chuk
- Element
- Metal (yin)
- Animal
- Ox
- Old poetic name
- 壁上土 · Wall earth
- Saju year starts
- February 3, 2021 23:58
- Ends
- February 4, 2022
- Age in 2027
- turns 6
Born in January or early February 2021?
The saju year changes at Ipchun, February 3, 2021 at 23:58 Korea time. If you were born before that moment, your year pair is 庚子: you belong to 2020, the year of the Metal Rat.
Many zodiac sites switch the animal at Lunar New Year instead, which fell on February 12 in 2021, after Ipchun. So for birthdays from Ipchun until the day before February 12, saju already says Ox while those sites still say Rat.
The two characters of 辛丑
- Sin · a polished jewel — fine, delicate metal
- 丑Chuk · Ox · frozen mud in late winter
The Metal element of 2021
The top character decides the year’s element, so 2021 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 2021 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 辛丑 with their start dates (Korea date). Your birth month’s pair is one of your four pillars.
| Month pair | Starts |
|---|---|
| 庚寅Gyeong-in | February 3 |
| 辛卯Sin-myo | March 5 |
| 壬辰Im-jin | April 4 |
| 癸巳Gye-sa | May 5 |
| 甲午Gap-o | June 5 |
| 乙未Eul-mi | July 7 |
| 丙申Byeong-sin | August 7 |
| 丁酉Jeong-yu | September 7 |
| 戊戌Mu-sul | October 8 |
| 己亥Gi-hae | November 7 |
| 庚子Gyeong-ja | December 7 |
| 辛丑Sin-chuk | January 5, 2022 |
The Ox in zodiac compatibility
By the branch tables, the Ox’s closest match is the Rat (six harmony). Its team of three adds the Snake and Rooster. Its opposite sign, the Goat, is a clash pair, read as different rhythms rather than bad luck.
The Ox 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: Clash (沖) · Punishment (刑)
2027 outlook for the Ox →Other Ox years
The Ox comes back every 12 years, but the element on top changes each time:
- 1949己丑 · Earth Ox
- 1961辛丑 · Metal Ox
- 1973癸丑 · Water Ox
- 1985乙丑 · Wood Ox
- 1997丁丑 · Fire Ox
- 2009己丑 · Earth Ox
The exact pair 辛丑 returns every 60 years: 1901, 1961 and 2081.
Read 辛丑 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 2021? 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.
Questions about 2021
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2021?
2021 is the year of the Ox, and more exactly the Metal Ox (辛丑). In saju the year runs from Ipchun on February 3, 2021 to February 4, 2022.
What element is 2021?
Metal. The top character 辛 is yin Metal, and that is the year’s element. The bottom character 丑 adds Earth.
I was born in January 2021. What is my sign?
Before Ipchun (February 3, 2021, 23:58 Korea time) you belong to the year before: 庚子, the Metal Rat of 2020. 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.