{"id":784,"date":"2026-06-02T14:52:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T06:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/?page_id=784"},"modified":"2026-09-15T17:39:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T09:39:05","slug":"reihenfolge-der-chinesischen-tierkreiszeichen","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/chinese-zodiac-order\/","title":{"rendered":"Reihenfolge der chinesischen Tierkreiszeichen: Warum die 12 Tiere in dieser Reihenfolge angeordnet sind"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\n\/* The Zodiac Lore \u2014 Style B brand-unified *\/\n.tzl-page{\n  --bg:#fff;--ink:#0a0a0a;--soft:#3a3a3a;--grey:#5c5c5c;--muted:#9a9a9a;--line:#e6e6e6;\n  --accent:#e1391b;--accent-dark:#b02a12;\n  --sans:\"Archivo\",Arial,sans-serif;--mono:\"Spline Sans Mono\",ui-monospace,monospace;\n  --zh:\"Noto Sans SC\",\"PingFang SC\",\"Microsoft YaHei\",sans-serif;\n  max-width:1040px;margin:0 auto;color:var(--ink);background:var(--bg);\n  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Pig completes one round of the 12 animals, and Rat begins the next round.\"}}]}<\/script>\n\n<div class=\"tzl-page\">\n  <div class=\"tzl-hero\">\n    <div class=\"tzl-kicker\">Animal Cycle \u00b7 \u751f\u8096\u987a\u5e8f<\/div>\n    <h2>Chinese Zodiac Order: <em>Why the 12 Animals Are in This Sequence<\/em><\/h2>\n    <p><strong>The Chinese zodiac order is Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.<\/strong> The sequence is fixed, and it repeats every 12 years.<\/p>\n    <p>Many people learn the order through the famous zodiac race story. That story is useful, but it is not the only layer. The animals also correspond to the 12 Earthly Branches, which belong to an older calendar system.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"quick-answer\">\n    <h2>Chinese zodiac order <em>quick answer<\/em><\/h2>\n    <p>The 12 animals always appear in the same order. After Pig, the cycle returns to Rat.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-order-list\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rat\/\">Rat<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f20<\/span> sh\u01d4 \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50<\/span> z\u01d0<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-ox\/\">Ox<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u725b<\/span> ni\u00fa \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4e11<\/span> ch\u01d2u<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-tiger\/\">Tiger<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u864e<\/span> h\u01d4 \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5bc5<\/span> y\u00edn<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rabbit\/\">Rabbit<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5154<\/span> t\u00f9 \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u536f<\/span> m\u01ceo<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-dragon\/\">Dragon<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f99<\/span> l\u00f3ng \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u8fb0<\/span> ch\u00e9n<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-snake\/\">Snake<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u86c7<\/span> sh\u00e9 \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5df3<\/span> s\u00ec<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-horse\/\">Horse<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9a6c<\/span> m\u01ce \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5348<\/span> w\u01d4<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-goat\/\">Goat<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7f8a<\/span> y\u00e1ng \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u672a<\/span> w\u00e8i<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-monkey\/\">Monkey<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7334<\/span> h\u00f3u \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7533<\/span> sh\u0113n<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rooster\/\">Rooster<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9e21<\/span> j\u012b \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9149<\/span> y\u01d2u<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-dog\/\">Dog<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u72d7<\/span> g\u01d2u \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u620c<\/span> x\u016b<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-order-item\">\n        <strong><a href=\"\/year-of-the-pig\/\">Pig<\/a><\/strong>\n        <p><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u732a<\/span> zh\u016b \u00b7 Branch <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4ea5<\/span> h\u00e0i<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-note\">\n      <div class=\"mark\">\u5e8f<\/div>\n      <div>\n        <h3>The order is fixed<\/h3>\n        <p>The Chinese zodiac does not reshuffle the animals. The sequence repeats every 12 years. After Pig, the next year starts the cycle again with Rat.<\/p>\n        <p>For year lookup, use the <a href=\"\/zodiac-years-chart\/\">Chinese Zodiac Years Chart<\/a> or the homepage calculator.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"order-table\">\n    <h2>The full Chinese zodiac order table<\/h2>\n    <p>This table shows the order, Chinese animal name, pinyin, Earthly Branch, and recent or upcoming year examples.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-table-wrap\">\n      <table class=\"tzl-table\">\n        <thead>\n          <tr>\n            <th>Order<\/th>\n            <th>Animal<\/th>\n            <th>Chinese name<\/th>\n            <th>Earthly Branch<\/th>\n            <th>Recent \/ upcoming year<\/th>\n            <th>Guide<\/th>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/thead>\n        <tbody>\n          <tr>\n            <td>1st<\/td>\n            <td>Rat<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f20<\/span> sh\u01d4<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50<\/span> z\u01d0<\/td>\n            <td>2020, 2032<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rat\/\">Year of the Rat<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>2nd<\/td>\n            <td>Ox<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u725b<\/span> ni\u00fa<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4e11<\/span> ch\u01d2u<\/td>\n            <td>2021, 2033<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-ox\/\">Year of the Ox<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>3rd<\/td>\n            <td>Tiger<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u864e<\/span> h\u01d4<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5bc5<\/span> y\u00edn<\/td>\n            <td>2022, 2034<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-tiger\/\">Year of the Tiger<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>4th<\/td>\n            <td>Rabbit<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5154<\/span> t\u00f9<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u536f<\/span> m\u01ceo<\/td>\n            <td>2023, 2035<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rabbit\/\">Year of the Rabbit<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>5th<\/td>\n            <td>Dragon<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f99<\/span> l\u00f3ng<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u8fb0<\/span> ch\u00e9n<\/td>\n            <td>2024, 2036<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-dragon\/\">Year of the Dragon<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>6th<\/td>\n            <td>Snake<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u86c7<\/span> sh\u00e9<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5df3<\/span> s\u00ec<\/td>\n            <td>2025, 2037<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-snake\/\">Year of the Snake<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>7th<\/td>\n            <td>Horse<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9a6c<\/span> m\u01ce<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5348<\/span> w\u01d4<\/td>\n            <td>2026, 2038<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-horse\/\">Year of the Horse<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>8th<\/td>\n            <td>Goat<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7f8a<\/span> y\u00e1ng<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u672a<\/span> w\u00e8i<\/td>\n            <td>2027, 2039<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-goat\/\">Year of the Goat<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>9th<\/td>\n            <td>Monkey<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7334<\/span> h\u00f3u<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7533<\/span> sh\u0113n<\/td>\n            <td>2028, 2040<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-monkey\/\">Year of the Monkey<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>10th<\/td>\n            <td>Rooster<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9e21<\/span> j\u012b<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9149<\/span> y\u01d2u<\/td>\n            <td>2029, 2041<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-rooster\/\">Year of the Rooster<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>11th<\/td>\n            <td>Dog<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u72d7<\/span> g\u01d2u<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u620c<\/span> x\u016b<\/td>\n            <td>2030, 2042<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-dog\/\">Year of the Dog<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>12th<\/td>\n            <td>Pig<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u732a<\/span> zh\u016b<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4ea5<\/span> h\u00e0i<\/td>\n            <td>2031, 2043<\/td>\n            <td><a href=\"\/year-of-the-pig\/\">Year of the Pig<\/a><\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/tbody>\n      <\/table>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <p>For Chinese characters and pronunciation notes, read <a href=\"\/chinese-zodiac-animals-in-chinese\/\">Chinese Zodiac Animals in Chinese<\/a>.<\/p>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"race-story\">\n    <h2>The zodiac race story<\/h2>\n    <p>The best-known folk explanation says that the 12 animals were chosen through a race. The Jade Emperor, or another heavenly figure depending on the version, invited animals to compete. Their finishing order became the zodiac sequence.<\/p>\n    <p>In this story, Rat comes first through clever timing. It rides on Ox across the river, then jumps ahead near the finish. Ox, steady and strong, becomes second. Tiger arrives third after fighting through the current. Rabbit crosses carefully, sometimes by hopping on stones or floating on a log, and becomes fourth.<\/p>\n    <p>Dragon could have arrived earlier, but stops to help others or bring rain in many versions, so it becomes fifth. Snake hides with Horse or surprises it near the finish, taking sixth while Horse becomes seventh. Goat, Monkey, and Rooster often cooperate to cross the river and take eighth, ninth, and tenth. Dog arrives eleventh after playing or bathing in the water. Pig arrives last after eating, resting, or simply moving at its own pace.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-note\">\n      <div class=\"mark\">\u4f20<\/div>\n      <div>\n        <h3>Read the race as folklore, not a historical record<\/h3>\n        <p>The race story is a memorable way to explain the order. It is part of popular storytelling, not the entire origin of the calendar system.<\/p>\n        <p>A careful explanation should keep both layers visible: folk story for memory, Earthly Branches for calendar structure.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n    <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"why-rat-first\">\n    <h2>Why is Rat first?<\/h2>\n    <p>The shortest structural answer is that Rat belongs to <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50<\/span> <em>z&#464;<\/em>, the first Earthly Branch. The Great Race turns that first place into a story about timing and nerve. The hour version gives a different picture: while most of the household sleeps, rats are still moving during the midnight period assigned to <em>z&#464;<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n    <p>Surviving evidence supports a careful version of the &ldquo;branches came first&rdquo; idea. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/books\/abs\/archaeology-of-measurement\/evolution-of-the-calendar-in-shang-china\/C6465ACCE5ACC6D6EF27922B8665EAA4\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">history of the Shang calendar<\/a> describes the 10-stem and 12-branch cycle in inscriptions from roughly 1300&ndash;1050 BCE. The Metropolitan Museum of Art says the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/exhibitions\/listings\/2017\/year-of-the-rooster\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">animal associations with the Chinese calendar appeared in the third century BCE and were firmly established by the first century<\/a>. In the record we have, the branch framework is older. That does not prove the animals were selected in one neat design session or that a single activity story created the whole system.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-card-grid three\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Great Race<\/span>\n        <strong>Rat uses the moment<\/strong>\n        <p>Rat rides with Ox and jumps ahead near the finish. This is the familiar narrative explanation.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Hour version<\/span>\n        <strong>Rat is active at <em>z&#464;<\/em><\/strong>\n        <p>The first branch covers 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., a period folk retellings associate with rats foraging in the dark.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Ming interpretation<\/span>\n        <strong>Four toes in front, five behind<\/strong>\n        <p>A later yin-yang reading makes Rat span even and odd, just as <em>z&#464;<\/em> crosses from one civil day into the next.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <p>The toe explanation has a traceable source, but it needs its own warning label. In the Ming work <a href=\"https:\/\/zh.wikisource.org\/zh-hant\/%E4%B8%83%E4%BF%AE%E9%A1%9E%E7%A8%BF\/%E5%8D%B704\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><cite>Qixiu Leigao<\/cite> (<span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u300a\u4e03\u4fee\u7c7b\u7a3f\u300b<\/span>)<\/a>, Lang Ying links a rat&rsquo;s four front toes with yin and five hind toes with yang. He then says the wider explanation was his own recollection and that he had not found it in an earlier book. It records a Ming-era interpretation; it does not establish the zodiac&rsquo;s original design rule.<\/p>\n\n    <p>Rat fertility and &ldquo;Mouse Wedding&rdquo; art belong to a later symbolic layer. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinamuseum.org.cn\/detail.html?contentId=215&amp;id=14\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chinese museum exhibition<\/a> notes that the rat&rsquo;s reproductive and survival abilities acquired broad cultural meanings, while a <a href=\"https:\/\/collections.culture.tw\/nmh_collectionsweb\/collection.aspx?GID=MGMNMSMGM7M2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">National Museum of History collection record<\/a> describes families offering rice, salt, or cakes and leaving the mice&rsquo;s wedding undisturbed. These traditions deepen Rat symbolism, but they are not proof of why Rat originally received first place.<\/p>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"why-pig-last\">\n    <h2>Why is Pig last?<\/h2>\n    <p>In many versions, Pig arrives last because it stops to eat, sleep, or rest before finishing. The story makes Pig seem slow, but it does not make Pig meaningless. The Pig closes the cycle with warmth, sincerity, comfort, and a more relaxed relationship to life.<\/p>\n    <p>As the 12th sign, Pig also has a structural role: it completes the sequence before the cycle returns to Rat. In symbolic reading, Pig can feel like the end of a round \u2014 more settled, open, and human than hurried.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-card-grid two\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Story layer<\/span>\n        <strong>Pig arrives last<\/strong>\n        <p>Pig may stop to eat or rest before finishing the race, depending on the version of the tale.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Cycle layer<\/span>\n        <strong>Pig closes the sequence<\/strong>\n        <p>Pig completes the 12-animal cycle before the order begins again with Rat.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"branches\">\n    <h2>Animal order and Earthly Branches<\/h2>\n    <p>The race story is easy to remember, but the calendar layer is the 12 Earthly Branches, or <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5730\u652f<\/span> <em>d\u00eczh\u012b<\/em>. Each branch corresponds to one animal.<\/p>\n    <p>This is why the order is stable. The animals are not floating symbols that can be rearranged. They are tied to a fixed 12-branch sequence: <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50\u4e11\u5bc5\u536f\u8fb0\u5df3\u5348\u672a\u7533\u9149\u620c\u4ea5<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-table-wrap\">\n      <table class=\"tzl-table\">\n        <thead>\n          <tr>\n            <th>Branch order<\/th>\n            <th>Branch<\/th>\n            <th>Pinyin<\/th>\n            <th>Animal<\/th>\n            <th>Animal name<\/th>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/thead>\n        <tbody>\n          <tr><td>1<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50<\/span><\/td><td>z\u01d0<\/td><td>Rat<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f20<\/span> sh\u01d4<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>2<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4e11<\/span><\/td><td>ch\u01d2u<\/td><td>Ox<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u725b<\/span> ni\u00fa<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>3<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5bc5<\/span><\/td><td>y\u00edn<\/td><td>Tiger<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u864e<\/span> h\u01d4<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>4<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u536f<\/span><\/td><td>m\u01ceo<\/td><td>Rabbit<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5154<\/span> t\u00f9<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>5<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u8fb0<\/span><\/td><td>ch\u00e9n<\/td><td>Dragon<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9f99<\/span> l\u00f3ng<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>6<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5df3<\/span><\/td><td>s\u00ec<\/td><td>Snake<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u86c7<\/span> sh\u00e9<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>7<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5348<\/span><\/td><td>w\u01d4<\/td><td>Horse<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9a6c<\/span> m\u01ce<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>8<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u672a<\/span><\/td><td>w\u00e8i<\/td><td>Goat<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7f8a<\/span> y\u00e1ng<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>9<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7533<\/span><\/td><td>sh\u0113n<\/td><td>Monkey<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7334<\/span> h\u00f3u<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>10<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9149<\/span><\/td><td>y\u01d2u<\/td><td>Rooster<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9e21<\/span> j\u012b<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>11<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u620c<\/span><\/td><td>x\u016b<\/td><td>Dog<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u72d7<\/span> g\u01d2u<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>12<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4ea5<\/span><\/td><td>h\u00e0i<\/td><td>Pig<\/td><td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u732a<\/span> zh\u016b<\/td><\/tr>\n        <\/tbody>\n      <\/table>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <p>For how Earthly Branches combine with Heavenly Stems and elements, read <a href=\"\/zodiac-element-combinations\/\">Chinese Zodiac Element Combinations<\/a>.<\/p>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"cycle-years\">\n    <h2>How the order moves through years<\/h2>\n    <p>Because the order is fixed, each year moves one step forward in the animal cycle. For example, 2024 is Dragon, 2025 is Snake, 2026 is Horse, 2027 is Goat, and so on.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-table-wrap\">\n      <table class=\"tzl-table\">\n        <thead>\n          <tr>\n            <th>Year page<\/th>\n            <th>Animal order position<\/th>\n            <th>Animal + element<\/th>\n            <th>Next sign<\/th>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/thead>\n        <tbody>\n          <tr>\n            <td><a href=\"\/2024-chinese-zodiac\/\">2024<\/a><\/td>\n            <td>5th \u00b7 Dragon<\/td>\n            <td>Wood Dragon<\/td>\n            <td>Snake<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td><a href=\"\/2025-chinese-zodiac\/\">2025<\/a><\/td>\n            <td>6th \u00b7 Snake<\/td>\n            <td>Wood Snake<\/td>\n            <td>Horse<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td><a href=\"\/2026-chinese-zodiac\/\">2026<\/a><\/td>\n            <td>7th \u00b7 Horse<\/td>\n            <td>Fire Horse<\/td>\n            <td>Goat<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td><a href=\"\/2027-chinese-zodiac\/\">2027<\/a><\/td>\n            <td>8th \u00b7 Goat<\/td>\n            <td>Fire Goat<\/td>\n            <td>Monkey<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td><a href=\"\/2028-chinese-zodiac\/\">2028<\/a><\/td>\n            <td>9th \u00b7 Monkey<\/td>\n            <td>Earth Monkey<\/td>\n            <td>Rooster<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td><a href=\"\/2029-chinese-zodiac\/\">2029<\/a><\/td>\n            <td>10th \u00b7 Rooster<\/td>\n            <td>Earth Rooster<\/td>\n            <td>Dog<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td><a href=\"\/2030-chinese-zodiac\/\">2030<\/a><\/td>\n            <td>11th \u00b7 Dog<\/td>\n            <td>Metal Dog<\/td>\n            <td>Pig<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td><a href=\"\/2031-chinese-zodiac\/\">2031<\/a><\/td>\n            <td>12th \u00b7 Pig<\/td>\n            <td>Metal Pig<\/td>\n            <td>Rat<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/tbody>\n      <\/table>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-note\">\n      <div class=\"mark\">\u8f6e<\/div>\n      <div>\n        <h3>After Pig, the cycle returns to Rat<\/h3>\n        <p>Pig is not the end forever. It is the completion of one round. The next step begins the sequence again with Rat.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n    <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"story-vs-calendar\">\n    <h2>Story order vs calendar order<\/h2>\n    <p>It helps to separate three layers. The Great Race explains the order through character and action. The hour-animal version matches each sign to a scene from one of the day&rsquo;s 12 two-hour periods. Beneath both stories is the fixed sequence of the Earthly Branches.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-card-grid three\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Great Race<\/span>\n        <strong>Why readers remember it<\/strong>\n        <p>Rat is clever, Ox is steady, Dragon stops to help, and Pig arrives last.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Hour folklore<\/span>\n        <strong>Why each animal fits its place<\/strong>\n        <p>Rat moves at midnight, Ox ruminates before dawn, Rooster returns at dusk, and Dog takes the night watch.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Calendar system<\/span>\n        <strong>Why the order stays fixed<\/strong>\n        <p>The animals correspond to the 12 Earthly Branches, which move in an unchanging sequence.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <p>The stories are memory aids. The branch sequence is what remains stable. They are retellings, not one canonical origin story.<\/p>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"hour-animal-explanation\">\n    <h2>The other folk version: the zodiac order follows the hours<\/h2>\n    <p>If the Great Race is the competition version, this is the clock version. It begins at 11 p.m. with <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50<\/span> <em>z&#464;<\/em>, the Rat branch, then follows the 12 Earthly Branches through a full day. Folk retellings match each period with an animal scene.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-card-grid two\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Fixed framework<\/span>\n        <strong>Branch, animal, and two-hour period<\/strong>\n        <p>The sequence from <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50\u9f20<\/span> Rat to <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4ea5\u732a<\/span> Pig is stable, and each branch has a conventional two-hour place in the day.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Folk explanation<\/span>\n        <strong>What the animal is imagined doing<\/strong>\n        <p>The activity attached to an hour is a memory aid. Some lines come from farm life; others use moon, cloud, rain, or yin-yang imagery.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <p>That distinction matters. Chinese folklorist Chen Qinjian <a href=\"https:\/\/big5.cctv.com\/gate\/big5\/news.cntv.cn\/20120214\/114864.shtml\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">notes that historical documents do not formally explain why the animals were ordered this way and that several folk explanations circulate<\/a>. The hour story is therefore best read as a mnemonic for an established sequence, not a proven historical account of how the zodiac began.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-table-wrap\">\n      <table class=\"tzl-table\">\n        <thead>\n          <tr>\n            <th>Order<\/th>\n            <th>Clock time<\/th>\n            <th>Branch and animal<\/th>\n            <th>The folk picture<\/th>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/thead>\n        <tbody>\n          <tr>\n            <td>1<\/td>\n            <td>11:00 p.m.&ndash;12:59 a.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50\u9f20<\/span><br><em>z&#464; sh&#468;<\/em> &middot; Rat<\/td>\n            <td>Rats forage after the household has gone quiet.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>2<\/td>\n            <td>1:00&ndash;2:59 a.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4e11\u725b<\/span><br><em>ch&#466;u ni&uacute;<\/em> &middot; Ox<\/td>\n            <td>Oxen chew the cud; farming versions may add a pre-dawn feeding.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>3<\/td>\n            <td>3:00&ndash;4:59 a.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5bc5\u864e<\/span><br><em>y&iacute;n h&#468;<\/em> &middot; Tiger<\/td>\n            <td>Tigers prowl or hunt before daybreak.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>4<\/td>\n            <td>5:00&ndash;6:59 a.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u536f\u5154<\/span><br><em>m&#462;o t&ugrave;<\/em> &middot; Rabbit<\/td>\n            <td>One version sees the moon&rsquo;s Jade Rabbit; another has rabbits feeding on dew-wet grass.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>5<\/td>\n            <td>7:00&ndash;8:59 a.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u8fb0\u9f99<\/span><br><em>ch&eacute;n l&oacute;ng<\/em> &middot; Dragon<\/td>\n            <td>Morning cloud and mist are imagined as a dragon rising to bring rain.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>6<\/td>\n            <td>9:00&ndash;10:59 a.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5df3\u86c7<\/span><br><em>s&igrave; sh&eacute;<\/em> &middot; Snake<\/td>\n            <td>Morning warmth draws snakes out. Other retellings say they remain hidden, so this line varies.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>7<\/td>\n            <td>11:00 a.m.&ndash;12:59 p.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5348\u9a6c<\/span><br><em>w&#468; m&#462;<\/em> &middot; Horse<\/td>\n            <td>Noon is pictured with horses running or neighing; symbolic versions stress the midday turn of yin and yang.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>8<\/td>\n            <td>1:00&ndash;2:59 p.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u672a\u7f8a<\/span><br><em>w&egrave;i y&aacute;ng<\/em> &middot; Goat<\/td>\n            <td>Goats or sheep graze in the early afternoon.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>9<\/td>\n            <td>3:00&ndash;4:59 p.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u7533\u7334<\/span><br><em>sh&#275;n h&oacute;u<\/em> &middot; Monkey<\/td>\n            <td>Monkeys are active and calling as the sun slopes west.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>10<\/td>\n            <td>5:00&ndash;6:59 p.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u9149\u9e21<\/span><br><em>y&#466;u j&#299;<\/em> &middot; Rooster<\/td>\n            <td>Roosters return to the coop at dusk.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>11<\/td>\n            <td>7:00&ndash;8:59 p.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u620c\u72d7<\/span><br><em>x&#363; g&#466;u<\/em> &middot; Dog<\/td>\n            <td>Dogs take up the night watch at the gate.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n          <tr>\n            <td>12<\/td>\n            <td>9:00&ndash;10:59 p.m.<\/td>\n            <td><span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u4ea5\u732a<\/span><br><em>h&agrave;i zh&#363;<\/em> &middot; Pig<\/td>\n            <td>Pigs settle to sleep or, in another version, can be heard rooting at the trough.<\/td>\n          <\/tr>\n        <\/tbody>\n      <\/table>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <p>The Rabbit and Pig rows make the variation easy to see. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmprc.gov.cn\/web\/gjhdq_676201\/gj_676203\/oz_678770\/1206_678892\/1206x2_678912\/202301\/t20230118_11010849.shtml\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs cultural article<\/a> records the dew-grass Rabbit and rooting Pig, while the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfm.go.kr\/english\/subIndex\/1003.do\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">National Folk Museum of Korea<\/a> gives the Jade Rabbit and sleeping Pig. The scene changes across retellings; the branch order does not.<\/p>\n\n    <p>For the practical clock chart, see <a href=\"\/chinese-zodiac-hours\/\">Chinese Zodiac Hours<\/a>. If you know a birth time, try the <a href=\"\/chinese-zodiac-hour-calculator\/\">Chinese Zodiac Hour Calculator<\/a>. For the wider calendar framework, read <a href=\"\/heavenly-stems-earthly-branches\/\">Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches<\/a>.<\/p>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"common-mistakes\">\n    <h2>Common mistakes about Chinese zodiac order<\/h2>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-card-grid three\">\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 1<\/span>\n        <strong>Thinking the order changes<\/strong>\n        <p>The animal sequence is fixed. It repeats every 12 years in the same order.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 2<\/span>\n        <strong>Using only the race story<\/strong>\n        <p>The race story is useful folklore, but the animals also connect with Earthly Branches.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 3<\/span>\n        <strong>Starting the zodiac year on January 1<\/strong>\n        <p>The order moves by Chinese zodiac year, which begins at Lunar New Year on this site\u2019s year pages.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 4<\/span>\n        <strong>Mixing branch and animal names<\/strong>\n        <p>Horse is \u9a6c m\u01ce, but the Horse branch is \u5348 w\u01d4. They are connected, not identical.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 5<\/span>\n        <strong>Forgetting the element layer<\/strong>\n        <p>The animal order repeats every 12 years, but the full animal-element cycle repeats every 60 years.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"tzl-card\">\n        <span class=\"label\">Mistake 6<\/span>\n        <strong>Reading the story too literally<\/strong>\n        <p>The race story explains meaning through folklore. It should not be treated as historical fact.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"go-deeper\">\n    <h2>Know your place in the order \u2014 want the full read?<\/h2>\n    <p>The ranking above explains why each animal comes where it does. Turning that into your own full chart \u2014 or yours next to a partner&#8217;s \u2014 is a separate step:<\/p>\n    <div class=\"tzl-links two\">\n      <a href=\"\/product\/personalized-reading\/\"><strong>Personalized Reading<\/strong>Your full stem-branch write-up: exact animal, element, and what that traditionally means for you specifically \u2014 as a printable report.<span>See the reading &rarr;<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"\/product\/couple-chinese-zodiac-compatibility-report\/\"><strong>Couple Compatibility Report<\/strong>How your sign and a partner&#8217;s sign read together, not just their relative order in the cycle.<span>See the report &rarr;<\/span><\/a>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\" id=\"faq\">\n    <h2>Chinese zodiac order FAQ<\/h2>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-faq\">\n      <details>\n        <summary>What is the Chinese zodiac order?<\/summary>\n        <p>The Chinese zodiac order is Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>Is there a Chinese zodiac order version based on the hours?<\/summary>\n        <p>Yes. A widely retold folk explanation pairs the 12 animals with the 12 traditional two-hour periods: Rat at <em>z&#464;<\/em> hour, Ox at <em>ch&#466;u<\/em> hour, and so on. The branch-and-hour sequence is fixed, but the animal-activity details vary by retelling.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>Why is Rat first in the Chinese zodiac?<\/summary>\n        <p>In the popular race story, Rat wins first place by using clever timing and riding on Ox before jumping ahead near the finish. This is a folk explanation for the order, not the whole calendar system.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>Why is Pig last in the Chinese zodiac?<\/summary>\n        <p>In many versions of the race story, Pig arrives last because it eats, rests, or moves slowly before finishing the race. Symbolically, Pig closes the cycle with warmth, sincerity, and comfort.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>Are the zodiac animals and Earthly Branches the same thing?<\/summary>\n        <p>No. The animal names are familiar symbols, while the Earthly Branches are calendar labels. Each animal is associated with a branch, such as Rat with <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5b50<\/span> and Horse with <span class=\"tzl-cn\">\u5348<\/span>.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>Does the Chinese zodiac order change every year?<\/summary>\n        <p>No. The order is fixed. The cycle repeats every 12 years, beginning with Rat and ending with Pig.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n\n      <details>\n        <summary>What happens after the Year of the Pig?<\/summary>\n        <p>The cycle returns to Rat. Pig completes one round of the 12 animals, and Rat begins the next round.<\/p>\n      <\/details>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section class=\"tzl-section\">\n    <h2>Next steps<\/h2>\n    <p>Use these related pages to read the full animal system, Chinese names, year chart, and 60-year cycle.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tzl-next\">\n      <a href=\"\/12-signs\/\">\n        <span>Overview<\/span>\n        <b>12 Chinese Zodiac Signs<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n\n      <a href=\"\/chinese-zodiac-animals-in-chinese\/\">\n        <span>Chinese names<\/span>\n        <b>Zodiac Animals in Chinese<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n\n      <a href=\"\/zodiac-years-chart\/\">\n        <span>Year lookup<\/span>\n        <b>Chinese Zodiac Years Chart<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n\n      <a href=\"\/zodiac-element-combinations\/\">\n        <span>60-year cycle<\/span>\n        <b>Zodiac Element Combinations<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n\n      <a href=\"\/year-of-the-rat\/\">\n        <span>First animal<\/span>\n        <b>Year of the Rat<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n\n      <a href=\"\/year-of-the-pig\/\">\n        <span>Last animal<\/span>\n        <b>Year of the Pig<\/b>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n\n  <section id=\"editorial-note\" class=\"tzl-editorial\">\n    <h3>Editorial note<\/h3>\n    <p>This page separates the fixed branch-and-hour sequence from the folk stories used to explain it. Calendar chronology follows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/books\/abs\/archaeology-of-measurement\/evolution-of-the-calendar-in-shang-china\/C6465ACCE5ACC6D6EF27922B8665EAA4\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">published Shang-period research<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/exhibitions\/listings\/2017\/year-of-the-rooster\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">museum dating<\/a>; the animal-hour scenes are presented as variants, not one proven origin account. The hour section was checked against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmprc.gov.cn\/web\/gjhdq_676201\/gj_676203\/oz_678770\/1206_678892\/1206x2_678912\/202301\/t20230118_11010849.shtml\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">a Chinese cultural account<\/a> and the Ming text <a href=\"https:\/\/zh.wikisource.org\/zh-hant\/%E4%B8%83%E4%BF%AE%E9%A1%9E%E7%A8%BF\/%E5%8D%B704\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><cite>Qixiu Leigao<\/cite><\/a>.<\/p>\n  <\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Animal Cycle \u00b7 \u751f\u8096\u987a\u5e8f Chinese Zodiac Order: Why the 12 Animals Are in This Sequence The Chinese zodiac order is Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The sequence is fixed, and it repeats every 12 years. Many people learn the order through the famous zodiac race story. That &#8230; <a title=\"Reihenfolge der chinesischen Tierkreiszeichen: Warum die 12 Tiere in dieser Reihenfolge angeordnet sind\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/chinese-zodiac-order\/\" aria-label=\"Mehr Informationen \u00fcber Chinese Zodiac Order: Why the 12 Animals Are in This Sequence\">Weiterlesen \u2026<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Chinese Zodiac Order: Why the 12 Animals Are in This Sequence","rank_math_description":"Learn the Chinese zodiac order from Rat to Pig, why the 12 animals appear in this sequence, how the race story works, and how animal order connects with Earthly Branches.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Chinese zodiac order","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-784","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=784"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4317,"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/784\/revisions\/4317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thezodiaclore.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}