1938 Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Earth Tiger

Detail	1938
Animal	Tiger (虎)
Element	Earth, yang
Stem and branch	Wu Yin (戊寅)
Year starts	January 31, 1938
Year ends	February 18, 1939
Year before	1937, Fire Ox
Year after	1939, Earth Rabbit

Born in January or February 1938?

The Chinese year does not start on January 1. It starts at Chinese New Year, which follows the Moon and usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, somewhere between January 21 and February 20. In 1938 it fell on January 31 (China time), so the Tiger starts with births on that day and everyone born before it in 1938 is still a Fire Ox. If your birthday sits close to the line, the Chinese zodiac calculator checks the exact date for you.

The Tiger in Chinese astrology

Courage, magnetism and a streak of unpredictability define the Tiger in the tradition. Tiger people are described as natural leaders who act on conviction, enjoy a challenge and stand up for others without being asked. Energy and generosity are the usual strengths, along with a refusal to be bored. Others tend to experience a Tiger as the person who makes the plan happen, often with a good deal of warmth and a flair for the grand gesture.

The shadow side in the classical reading is restlessness and a quick temper. A Tiger may charge ahead before checking the ground, resist taking direction, and feel any criticism as a challenge to be answered. Moods can swing between big enthusiasm and a sudden withdrawal. If you are a Tiger, the tradition suggests your courage works best when paired with patience for the details, and with the occasional willingness to let someone else lead. People close to a Tiger are often described as forgiving the temper quickly, because the warmth underneath is plain.

The Earth Tiger

Earth stands for stability, patience and practicality in Chinese astrology. Tradition links it to the turn between seasons, to soil and the harvest, and reads an Earth year as grounding the animal it touches. Earth people are described as reliable, nurturing and thorough, with an instinct for building something that lasts. The classical shadow is stubbornness and worry, a preference for what is known over what is new. Earth gives the animal weight, loyalty and a steady pace.

Brave, but with a plan: the Earth Tiger is the Tiger with its feet on the ground. Earth brings patience and practicality to a bold sign, so tradition pictures someone who plans the route first. It is steadier than other Tigers and usually finishes what it starts. It protects by acting. People meet a confident, practical leader. Stubbornness in the face of advice, and a possessive streak, are the weak points. Leaving room for spontaneity, and hearing the person who says it is going too fast or too slow, is the sensible counsel. The Earth Tiger's boldness is the kind that arrives with supplies.

The same pairing of element and animal returns every sixty years, so 1998 is Earth Tiger years as well. The other earth year next to 1938 is 1939, an Earth Rabbit, because each element lasts two years, one yang and one yin.

Tiger compatibility

Tradition groups the twelve animals into four trines of three. The Tiger shares its trine with the Horse and the Dog, the pairings read as the easiest. Its secret friend, a second close match, is the Pig, while the Monkey, six places away on the wheel, is read as its clash. These are tendencies of the tradition, not verdicts on any couple.

Passionate, protective and openly affectionate, the Tiger is the partner who plans the adventure and defends the people closest to them. A Tiger brings intensity to a bond and needs a partner who can hold their own opinions. Jealousy and a short fuse are the classic trouble spots. Among friends the Tiger is generous and entertaining. Room to roam and an honest talk after the storm passes suit this sign well.

The Tiger at work

Tigers are read as bold professionals, comfortable with leadership, competition and starting things from nothing. They are credited with confidence under pressure and a willingness to take calculated risks. With money the sign can be generous to a fault, spending on ventures or on people with equal enthusiasm. Impulsiveness is the snag: a promising plan can suffer from impatience with detail, or from a clash with someone in authority.

Other Tiger years

The Tiger comes back every twelve years, each time with the next element: 1938 Earth Tiger (this page), 1950 Metal Tiger, 1962 Water Tiger, 1974 Wood Tiger, 1986 Fire Tiger, 1998 Earth Tiger, 2010 Metal Tiger, 2022 Water Tiger.

Your Western sign

Your Chinese sign comes from your birth year. Western astrology works from the sky on the day you were born instead: your Sun sign follows the date, and your Moon sign and rising sign also need the time and place. Two people born in 1938 share the Tiger and can still have any of the twelve Western Sun signs. Draw your free birth chart to see your Sun, Moon and rising sign together, or look up your Sun sign by date with the zodiac sign dates calculator.

All twelve animals, the five elements and every year from 1930 to 2030 are listed in Chinese zodiac years.