Chinese zodiac
Year of the Ox
The next Year of the Ox is 2033 — the Water Ox. People born in a Year of the Ox are traditionally said to be diligent, dependable and patient.
Ox personality
The Ox is the quiet workhorse of the zodiac — diligent, dependable, patient and methodical. Oxen earn trust through consistency rather than flash, prefer proven methods to shortcuts, and are honest and slow to anger. Once set on a course they can be genuinely stubborn. They rarely chase the spotlight, but they are usually the ones others lean on.
The Ox and the five elements
Each Year of the Ox carries a different heavenly-stem element, so no two Oxs are quite alike. The current cycle’s 2033 is the Water Ox.
- Wood Oxgrowth-minded, generous and cooperative, taking the long view
- Fire Oxdynamic, passionate and bold, quick to lead
- Earth Oxgrounded, patient and dependable, building to last
- Metal Oxdisciplined, determined and principled, holding a firm line
- Water Oxintuitive, adaptable and persuasive, reading people well
Ox birth years and ages
Each zodiac year recurs every 12 years, with a different heavenly-stem element each time. Ages are the age reached during the year.
Ox compatibility
Traditional matches follow the trine (San He), the secret-friend pair (Liu He) and the clash (Liu Chong), all set by the Ox’s place in the twelve-year cycle.
- Trine — natural allies
- Snake and Rooster. Signs four places apart share the Ox’s pace and outlook, and tend to understand each other quickly.
- Secret friend
- Rat. The single strongest one-to-one bond — supportive even when the two are not in the same trine.
- Clash — most tension
- Goat. The opposite sign, six places away — not doomed, but the pairing that asks for the most communication and patience.
The Ox in Singapore
When an Ox year comes round, the Chinatown light-up and the River Hongbao showground carry the Ox as their motif, and it appears on festive packaging across the island. CNY is gazetted for two days in Singapore.