Year of the Goat: Personality, Years, and Compatibility

沉浸 TeamAugust 15, 20264 min read

The Year of the Goat is the eighth year in the Chinese zodiac's 12-year cycle. Recent Goat years are 2027, 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, and the next one starts in 2027. In Chinese the goat is 羊 (yáng), and someone born in a Goat year says 我属羊 (wǒ shǔ yáng), "I'm a Goat."

A naming note first: 羊 (yáng) covers goats, sheep, and rams alike, which is why you'll see "Year of the Goat," "Year of the Sheep," and "Year of the Ram" used for the same year. They're all the same sign.

Goats (also called Sheep or Ram years) are the zodiac's artists: kind, imaginative, and deeply empathetic. They notice beauty other people walk past and take care of everyone around them. They need security and appreciation to do their best work.

Year of the Goat years and dates

Each zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not January 1, so the exact dates matter for January and February birthdays:

1967: Fire Goat (February 9, 1967 to January 29, 1968)
1979: Earth Goat (January 28, 1979 to February 15, 1980)
1991: Metal Goat (February 15, 1991 to February 3, 1992)
2003: Water Goat (February 1, 2003 to January 21, 2004)
2015: Wood Goat (February 19, 2015 to February 7, 2016)
2027: Fire Goat (February 6, 2027 to January 25, 2028)

Click your birth year above for that year's full profile. Born in early January or February? You may belong to the previous animal, the Year of the Horse; check the start date of your year.

The Goat personality

Strengths:

Creative and artistic
Gentle and empathetic
Generous team player
Resilient in quiet ways

Weaknesses:

Worries too much
Indecisive under pressure
Sensitive to criticism

Goats do beautiful work in art, music, design, teaching, and healing professions.

Not every Goat is the same: the five elements

The zodiac runs on a 60-year cycle: 12 animals times five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). Each Goat year carries a different element, which shades the core personality:

Fire Goat (1967, 2027): adds charisma, boldness, and a taste for the spotlight.
Earth Goat (1979): adds patience, reliability, and a practical, grounded streak.
Metal Goat (1991): adds discipline, high standards, and real persistence.
Water Goat (2003): adds adaptability, intuition, and quiet persuasion.
Wood Goat (2015): adds curiosity, generosity, and a builder's patience.

Goat compatibility

Traditional matchmaking groups the animals into trines (three signs with a shared temperament) and gives each sign a secret friend and a clash:

Best matches: the Rabbit and Pig, the Goat's trine partners, plus its secret friend the Horse.
Most challenging: the Ox, directly opposite the Goat on the zodiac wheel.

It's folk wisdom, not destiny, but it still shapes wedding dates, business partnerships, and a lot of good-natured family teasing across the Chinese-speaking world.

Lucky numbers and colors

Lucky numbers: 2, 7
Lucky colors: green, red, purple

In a Goat person's own zodiac year (本命年 běnmìngnián), tradition calls for wearing red, especially red given to you by someone else, to ward off bad luck.

The Goat in the Great Race

The order of the 12 animals comes from the legend of the Great Race, in which the Jade Emperor invited all the animals to cross a river. The Goat finished eighth. It crossed the river on a raft with the Monkey and Rooster, sharing the work the whole way.

How to say it in Chinese

羊 (yáng): goat
羊年 (yáng nián): Year of the Goat
生肖 (shēngxiào): Chinese zodiac sign
我属羊 (wǒ shǔ yáng): "I'm a Goat"

Want to go beyond the zodiac? Create a free Chenjin account to hear words like 羊 and 生肖 pronounced by native-quality audio, save them as flashcards, and start reading real Chinese stories at your level.

Year of the Goat FAQ

When is the next Year of the Goat?

The next Goat year is 2027, starting on February 6, 2027 and running to January 25, 2028.

What years are Year of the Goat?

1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027. Remember that each zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, in late January or early-to-mid February.

Who should a Goat marry?

By tradition, the Rabbit, Pig, or Horse. The Ox is the classic "difficult" pairing. Real compatibility, of course, is written by people rather than calendars.