Chinese zodiac · explore
Chinese zodiac hours
Each animal names a two-hour period. Rat covers 23:00–01:00, Ox 01:00–03:00 and the sequence continues through Pig at 21:00–23:00.
Horse hour · 午 Wu
12:00 falls in the 11:00–13:00 double-hour. Use the clock convention you intend to read; this table maps the entered time directly.
Explore the Horse branch →Rat · 子
23:00–01:00N · Yang Water
Ox · 丑
01:00–03:00NNE · Yin Earth
Tiger · 寅
03:00–05:00ENE · Yang Wood
Rabbit · 卯
05:00–07:00E · Yin Wood
Dragon · 辰
07:00–09:00ESE · Yang Earth
Snake · 巳
09:00–11:00SSE · Yin Fire
Horse · 午
11:00–13:00S · Yang Fire
Goat · 未
13:00–15:00SSW · Yin Earth
Monkey · 申
15:00–17:00WSW · Yang Metal
Rooster · 酉
17:00–19:00W · Yin Metal
Dog · 戌
19:00–21:00WNW · Yang Earth
Pig · 亥
21:00–23:00NNW · Yin Water
An hour branch and an hour pillar
The two-hour position supplies the branch. A complete hour pillar also needs a Heavenly Stem calculated from the day stem. A person’s year animal and hour animal can therefore differ.