2018 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Yang Earth Dog (戊戌)
The 2018 year pillar
The year 2018 corresponds to 戊戌 — a Yang Earth year combined with the Dog branch. The Na Yin image for this pair is "Wood of the Plains" (平地木).
Dog year, Yang Earth stem
People often describe 2018 as the year of the Earth Dog. The animal comes from the branch; the element label comes from the stem. Together they form the traditional shorthand for the year's character.
What a year pillar tells you
A year pillar is one of four pillars in a BaZi chart. The year animal is a familiar cultural label, but a full chart also includes month, day, and hour pillars. Your Day Master — not your year animal — is the primary reference point in most readings.
Build your full chart
MingLens can calculate your four pillars from your birth date, local time, and birthplace. See how your Dog year fits into the complete structure.