甲辰

2024: the year of the Wood Dragon (甲辰)

In Korean saju, 2024 is the year of 甲辰 (Gap-jin). The top character, 甲, is yang Wood, and the bottom character, 辰, is the Dragon. Together they make 2024 the year of the Wood Dragon. The saju year starts at Ipchun on February 4, 2024 at 17:27 Korea time and runs until February 3, 2025.

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2024 at a glance

Year pair: 甲辰 · Gap-jin
Element: Wood (yang)
Animal: Dragon
Old poetic name: 覆燈火 · Lamplight
Saju year starts: February 4, 2024 17:27
Ends: February 3, 2025
Age in 2027: turns 3

Born in January or early February 2024?

The saju year changes at Ipchun, February 4, 2024 at 17:27 Korea time. If you were born before that moment, your year pair is 癸卯: you belong to 2023, the year of the Water Rabbit.

Many zodiac sites switch the animal at Lunar New Year instead, which fell on February 10 in 2024, after Ipchun. So for birthdays from Ipchun until the day before February 10, saju already says Dragon while those sites still say Rabbit.

The two characters of 甲辰

甲Gap · a tall, straight tree — wood that keeps reaching upward
辰Jin · Dragon · rain-soaked soil in late spring

The Wood element of 2024

The top character decides the year’s element, so 2024 is a Wood year. When Wood energy is strong, it tends to feel like this: You feel a push to grow, start new things, and move forward with purpose.

Color: Green
Food: Leafy greens and fresh herbs
Direction: East
Activity: Walking in a park or caring for a plant

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 2024 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 甲辰 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 5
戊辰Mu-jin	April 4
己巳Gi-sa	May 5
庚午Gyeong-o	June 5
辛未Sin-mi	July 6
壬申Im-sin	August 7
癸酉Gye-yu	September 7
甲戌Gap-sul	October 8
乙亥Eul-hae	November 7
丙子Byeong-ja	December 7
丁丑Jeong-chuk	January 5, 2025

The Dragon in zodiac compatibility

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

The Dragon 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: No main combination or clash with 未 this year.

2027 outlook for the Dragon →

Other Dragon years

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

The exact pair 甲辰 returns every 60 years: 1904, 1964 and 2084.

Read 甲辰 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 2024? 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 2024

What Chinese zodiac animal is 2024?

2024 is the year of the Dragon, and more exactly the Wood Dragon (甲辰). In saju the year runs from Ipchun on February 4, 2024 to February 3, 2025.

What element is 2024?

Wood. The top character 甲 is yang Wood, and that is the year’s element. The bottom character 辰 adds Earth.

I was born in January 2024. What is my sign?

Before Ipchun (February 4, 2024, 17:27 Korea time) you belong to the year before: 癸卯, the Water Rabbit of 2023. 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.