Grace, tact and a love of peace
The Rabbit is the diplomat of the Chinese zodiac. Tradition associates it with kindness, good manners, refined taste and a calm way of easing tension in a room.
Rabbit people are described as careful and observant, preferring a quiet, pleasant setting to noise and drama. On the less comfortable side, folk lore names caution that can turn into avoidance, sensitivity to criticism and a habit of keeping feelings hidden to protect the peace.
In Chinese legend a rabbit lives on the Moon, pounding herbs with a mortar, and that gentle image still clings to the sign. The Rabbit hour is 5 am to 7 am, around dawn.
Hopping stones and a lucky log
The Rabbit could not swim, so in the race legend it crossed the river by jumping from stone to stone. When the stones ran out, it landed on a floating log and drifted toward the bank.
In many tellings the Dragon, flying above, gave the log a helpful puff of air, which pushed the Rabbit ashore in fourth place. The story fits the sign: quick-footed, resourceful in its own quiet way, and often helped by others.
The five element Rabbits
Wood Rabbit (for example, the year starting in 1975): Wood is also the Rabbit's fixed element, so this is the purest form, described as generous, kind and drawn to harmony in groups.
Fire Rabbit (1987): warmer and more expressive than other Rabbits, linked with charm, intuition and a livelier social side.
Earth Rabbit (1999): tradition sees a sensible, steady Rabbit, more practical and less anxious, who likes a solid plan.
Metal Rabbit (2011): pictured as the most determined Rabbit, with clear goals, good judgment and a firmer backbone than the gentle sign usually shows.
Water Rabbit (2023): the most sensitive version, described as empathetic, imaginative and attentive to other people's moods.
Rabbit matches and the Rooster clash
The Rabbit belongs to the harmony group with the Goat and the Pig. This trine is associated with kindness, artistic taste and care for others, and tradition sees these three as easy company for one another.
Its secret friend is the Dog, and its clash sign is the Rooster, which sits opposite it. Folk astrology contrasts the Rabbit's tact with the Rooster's frankness. You can compare any two animals on the Chinese zodiac compatibility page, which reports what the tradition says and nothing more.
Rabbit or Cat?
In the Vietnamese zodiac, the fourth animal is the Cat instead of the Rabbit. The years and dates are the same, so a Rabbit in one tradition is a Cat in the other.
Whichever name you use, check your birth date against the exact start of the year. The Rabbit year dates on this page are computed by the site, and the Chinese zodiac calculator handles January and February birthdays, which can belong to the Tiger year before. For the element behind your year, see Chinese zodiac elements.