Year of the Rat: Years, Traits and Compatibility

The Rat is the first of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Recent and coming Rat years include 1996 (from 19 February 1996), 2008 (from 7 February 2008) and 2020 (from 25 January 2020). A Rat year begins on the lunar new year and not on 1 January, so a Rat birthday in January or February may belong to the animal before.

Folklore, not science, is the right frame: a Rat year says nothing certain about the people born in it. This page sets out the Rat as the tradition describes it, with every Rat year and its exact start date, and you can check a birth date with the Chinese zodiac calculator.

Years of the Rat

These Rat years run from 1948 to 2047, with dates from the Hong Kong Observatory’s table, as in the calculator. Each Rat year begins on the lunar new year in China and Hong Kong and ends the day before the next. The element column is the element of that particular year, and the last column names it in the sixty-year cycle, where the Rat is always paired with the branch zi.

For example, someone born on 28 January 2008 was born before the lunar new year of 2008, which began on 7 February 2008, so that person is a Pig and not a Rat. If a Rat birthday falls within a day of the new year, check the family date, since the time zone can move it.

Its place in the zodiac

In the best-known version of the story of the Great Race, the Jade Emperor invited the animals to cross a wide river, and the first twelve to arrive would give their names to the years. The Rat, small and clever, asked the Ox for a ride, then jumped off just before the bank and landed first. Versions differ in the details, and the story is folklore, not history.

In the older calendar of earthly branches the Rat is zi (子), branch number 1. It is Yang, its fixed element is Water, its double-hour is 11 pm to 1 am and its compass direction is north. That fixed element stays the same in every Rat year, whereas the year element changes.

What the tradition says

The tradition describes the Rat as resourceful, quick-witted, adaptable and charming, someone who notices openings others miss. It is the first animal of the cycle, so it often stands for beginnings, and it is associated with thrift and careful provision. The shadow side described is anxiety, or too much calculation.

• Resourcefulness. Finding a workable route when the obvious one is blocked.
• Quick thinking. Reading a room or a situation fast.
• Adaptability. Settling into new places and new groups without much fuss.
• Thrift. A habit of saving and planning ahead.

Growth edges

Descriptions of the Rat warn about nerves and over-planning: a mind that is always weighing options can find it hard to rest, or to trust that enough is enough. The suggested practice is to decide on a date to stop researching and then act, and to share a worry out loud before it grows.

In relationships

In close relationships the Rat is pictured as charming, generous with attention and protective of the people it has chosen, with a streak of privacy. The growth point is openness about money and worries, so that thrift does not come across as distance. This describes a tendency to reflect on, not a rule about whom anyone should be with.

In work

Traditional descriptions link the Rat with trade, writing, research, negotiation and any work that rewards quick thinking and good contacts. These are descriptions of a working style, found in any field, and they say nothing about how a career will go.

The Rat with each element

The Rat returns every twelve years while the elements turn in a cycle of ten, so Rat years carry five different year elements, and the tradition reads each as a variation on the Rat. Across 1948 to 2047 they fall as follows.

• Wood Rat, in 1984 and 2044: the Rat’s quick resourcefulness with a year that the tradition calls cooperative, idealistic and growth-minded. Read about Wood.
• Fire Rat, in 1996: the Rat’s quick resourcefulness with a year that the tradition calls energetic, enthusiastic and expressive. Read about Fire.
• Earth Rat, in 1948 and 2008: the Rat’s quick resourcefulness with a year that the tradition calls patient, practical and loyal. Read about Earth.
• Metal Rat, in 1960 and 2020: the Rat’s quick resourcefulness with a year that the tradition calls determined, precise and self-disciplined. Read about Metal.
• Water Rat, in 1972 and 2032: the Rat’s quick resourcefulness with a year that the tradition calls intuitive, adaptable and thoughtful. Read about Water.

Compatibility in the tradition

The tradition compares animals by a handful of old pairings. For the Rat the list is:

• Trine allies: Dragon and Monkey, with the Rat in the visionary and resourceful trine.
• Secret friend (six harmonies): Ox.
• Opposite (a clash): Horse.
• Harm: Goat.
• Penalty: Rabbit.

None of these is a verdict on a Rat’s relationships. The compatibility overview explains each pairing, and the Chinese zodiac compatibility tool compares a Rat with anyone, from two birth dates.

Names and variations

In Chinese the Rat is shu, a word that covers both rats and mice, so English writers sometimes say Mouse. The same animal opens the cycle in the East Asian traditions that share it, including the Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese zodiacs.

Frequently asked questions

Return to the Chinese zodiac hub, or read about the Pig and the Ox.