Jade
Observatory

26 August 2026

12 Chinese Zodiac Signs

Rat Chinese Zodiac Sign

鼠Zi子

The Rat is paired with the 子 (Zi) earthly branch. Below are its calendar years, traditional character, five elements, and traditional compatibility groupings.

Rat years:

Traditional character

Commonly described strengths
adaptable, observant, resourceful
Commonly described challenges
restless, overly cautious

Traditional interpretation

These traits are part of cultural and traditional interpretation. They are provided for educational and cultural purposes only — not as a personality assessment.

Five Rat elements

  • Wood
    Born in years ending in 41924, 1984, 2044
  • Fire
    Born in years ending in 61936, 1996, 2056
  • Earth
    Born in years ending in 81948, 2008, 2068
  • Metal
    Born in years ending in 01960, 2020, 2080
  • Water
    Born in years ending in 21912, 1972, 2032

Compatibility overview

Often paired with Ox, Dragon, Monkey.

Horse

Traditionally more challenging with Horse.

See compatibility guide

Rat years and exact dates

Zodiac yearAnimal and elementChinese New YearYear ends
1920Yang Metal Monkey1920-02-201921-02-07
1921Yin Metal Rooster1921-02-081922-01-27
1922Yang Water Dog1922-01-281923-02-15
1923Yin Water Pig1923-02-161924-02-04
1924Yang Wood Rat1924-02-051925-01-23
1925Yin Wood Ox1925-01-241926-02-12
1926Yang Fire Tiger1926-02-131927-02-01
1927Yin Fire Rabbit1927-02-021928-01-22
1928Yang Earth Dragon1928-01-231929-02-09
1929Yin Earth Snake1929-02-101930-01-29
1930Yang Metal Horse1930-01-301931-02-16
1931Yin Metal Goat1931-02-171932-02-05
1932Yang Water Monkey1932-02-061933-01-25
1933Yin Water Rooster1933-01-261934-02-13
1934Yang Wood Dog1934-02-141935-02-03
1935Yin Wood Pig1935-02-041936-01-23
1936Yang Fire Rat1936-01-241937-02-10
1937Yin Fire Ox1937-02-111938-01-30
1938Yang Earth Tiger1938-01-311939-02-18
1939Yin Earth Rabbit1939-02-191940-02-07
1940Yang Metal Dragon1940-02-081941-01-26
1941Yin Metal Snake1941-01-271942-02-14
1942Yang Water Horse1942-02-151943-02-04
1943Yin Water Goat1943-02-051944-01-24
1944Yang Wood Monkey1944-01-251945-02-12
1945Yin Wood Rooster1945-02-131946-02-01
1946Yang Fire Dog1946-02-021947-01-21
1947Yin Fire Pig1947-01-221948-02-09
1948Yang Earth Rat1948-02-101949-01-28
1949Yin Earth Ox1949-01-291950-02-16
1950Yang Metal Tiger1950-02-171951-02-05
1951Yin Metal Rabbit1951-02-061952-01-26
1952Yang Water Dragon1952-01-271953-02-13
1953Yin Water Snake1953-02-141954-02-02
1954Yang Wood Horse1954-02-031955-01-23
1955Yin Wood Goat1955-01-241956-02-11
1956Yang Fire Monkey1956-02-121957-01-30
1957Yin Fire Rooster1957-01-311958-02-17
1958Yang Earth Dog1958-02-181959-02-07
1959Yin Earth Pig1959-02-081960-01-27
1960Yang Metal Rat1960-01-281961-02-14
1961Yin Metal Ox1961-02-151962-02-04
1962Yang Water Tiger1962-02-051963-01-24
1963Yin Water Rabbit1963-01-251964-02-12
1964Yang Wood Dragon1964-02-131965-02-01
1965Yin Wood Snake1965-02-021966-01-20
1966Yang Fire Horse1966-01-211967-02-08
1967Yin Fire Goat1967-02-091968-01-29
1968Yang Earth Monkey1968-01-301969-02-16
1969Yin Earth Rooster1969-02-171970-02-05
1970Yang Metal Dog1970-02-061971-01-26
1971Yin Metal Pig1971-01-271972-02-14
1972Yang Water Rat1972-02-151973-02-02
1973Yin Water Ox1973-02-031974-01-22
1974Yang Wood Tiger1974-01-231975-02-10
1975Yin Wood Rabbit1975-02-111976-01-30
1976Yang Fire Dragon1976-01-311977-02-17
1977Yin Fire Snake1977-02-181978-02-06
1978Yang Earth Horse1978-02-071979-01-27
1979Yin Earth Goat1979-01-281980-02-15
1980Yang Metal Monkey1980-02-161981-02-04
1981Yin Metal Rooster1981-02-051982-01-24
1982Yang Water Dog1982-01-251983-02-12
1983Yin Water Pig1983-02-131984-02-01
1984Yang Wood Rat1984-02-021985-02-19
1985Yin Wood Ox1985-02-201986-02-08
1986Yang Fire Tiger1986-02-091987-01-28
1987Yin Fire Rabbit1987-01-291988-02-16
1988Yang Earth Dragon1988-02-171989-02-05
1989Yin Earth Snake1989-02-061990-01-26
1990Yang Metal Horse1990-01-271991-02-14
1991Yin Metal Goat1991-02-151992-02-03
1992Yang Water Monkey1992-02-041993-01-22
1993Yin Water Rooster1993-01-231994-02-09
1994Yang Wood Dog1994-02-101995-01-30
1995Yin Wood Pig1995-01-311996-02-18
1996Yang Fire Rat1996-02-191997-02-06
1997Yin Fire Ox1997-02-071998-01-27
1998Yang Earth Tiger1998-01-281999-02-15
1999Yin Earth Rabbit1999-02-162000-02-04
2000Yang Metal Dragon2000-02-052001-01-23
2001Yin Metal Snake2001-01-242002-02-11
2002Yang Water Horse2002-02-122003-01-31
2003Yin Water Goat2003-02-012004-01-21
2004Yang Wood Monkey2004-01-222005-02-08
2005Yin Wood Rooster2005-02-092006-01-28
2006Yang Fire Dog2006-01-292007-02-17
2007Yin Fire Pig2007-02-182008-02-06
2008Yang Earth Rat2008-02-072009-01-25
2009Yin Earth Ox2009-01-262010-02-13
2010Yang Metal Tiger2010-02-142011-02-02
2011Yin Metal Rabbit2011-02-032012-01-22
2012Yang Water Dragon2012-01-232013-02-09
2013Yin Water Snake2013-02-102014-01-30
2014Yang Wood Horse2014-01-312015-02-18
2015Yin Wood Goat2015-02-192016-02-07
2016Yang Fire Monkey2016-02-082017-01-27
2017Yin Fire Rooster2017-01-282018-02-15
2018Yang Earth Dog2018-02-162019-02-04
2019Yin Earth Pig2019-02-052020-01-24
2020Yang Metal Rat2020-01-252021-02-11
2021Yin Metal Ox2021-02-122022-01-31
2022Yang Water Tiger2022-02-012023-01-21
2023Yin Water Rabbit2023-01-222024-02-09
2024Yang Wood Dragon2024-02-102025-01-28
2025Yin Wood Snake2025-01-292026-02-16
2026Yang Fire Horse2026-02-172027-02-05
2027Yin Fire Goat2027-02-062028-01-25
2028Yang Earth Monkey2028-01-262029-02-12
2029Yin Earth Rooster2029-02-132030-02-02
2030Yang Metal Dog2030-02-032031-01-22
2031Yin Metal Pig2031-01-232032-02-10
2032Yang Water Rat2032-02-112033-01-30
2033Yin Water Ox2033-01-312034-02-18
2034Yang Wood Tiger2034-02-192035-02-07
2035Yin Wood Rabbit2035-02-082036-01-27
2036Yang Fire Dragon2036-01-282037-02-14
2037Yin Fire Snake2037-02-152038-02-03
2038Yang Earth Horse2038-02-042039-01-23
2039Yin Earth Goat2039-01-242040-02-11
2040Yang Metal Monkey2040-02-122041-01-31

People born before Chinese New Year belong to the preceding animal year — check an exact birth date with the calculator.