2022 Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Water Tiger

Detail	2022
Animal	Tiger (虎)
Element	Water, yang
Stem and branch	Ren Yin (壬寅)
Year starts	February 1, 2022
Year ends	January 21, 2023
Year before	2021, Metal Ox
Year after	2023, Water Rabbit

Born in January or February 2022?

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 2022 it fell on February 1 (China time), so the Tiger starts with births on that day and everyone born before it in 2022 is still a Metal 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 Water Tiger

Water is the element of depth, adaptability and intuition in Chinese astrology. Tradition links it to winter, to flowing streams and still pools, and reads a Water year as making the animal more perceptive, flexible and communicative. Water people are described as thoughtful listeners who find the way around an obstacle. The classical shadow is a tendency to absorb other people's moods, to worry, or to drift without a clear direction. Water gives the animal reach and sensitivity.

The roar is softened by thought in a Water Tiger. Tradition says Water tempers the heat, so this is the Tiger who listens before charging and leads by persuasion. It is often called the diplomat of the sign, curious about people and good at reading the mood of a group. Decisiveness sometimes pays for the adaptability, and a plan may be revised three times to keep everyone aboard. Energy comes in tides, with bursts of drive followed by withdrawal, and the withdrawal can puzzle friends who expected the next charge. A few steady commitments carry it through the low tides.

The same pairing of element and animal returns every sixty years, so 1962 is Water Tiger years as well. The other water year next to 2022 is 2023, a Water 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, 1950 Metal Tiger, 1962 Water Tiger, 1974 Wood Tiger, 1986 Fire Tiger, 1998 Earth Tiger, 2010 Metal Tiger, 2022 Water Tiger (this page).

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 2022 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.