Which Years Are Rat Years?
People born in 1996, 2008 and 2020 are Rats. Earlier Rat years are 1948, 1960, 1972 and 1984. The Rat comes around every 12 years.
Folk custom changes animals at Chinese New Year. BaZi changes the year at the Start of Spring (Lichun), around February 4. When the two differ, go by the Start of Spring.
BaZi writes your birth year, month, day and hour as two characters each. The two for the year are your year pillar. Enter your birth date and hour in the free BaZi calculator, and if the second character of your year pillar is 子 (Zi), you are a Rat.
If you were born close to the Start of Spring, be sure to enter the hour too.
| Year | Stem-branch | Na Yin | Born between |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Geng Zi | Earth on the Wall | Feb 4 – Feb 2 next year |
| 2008 | Wu Zi | Thunderbolt Fire | Feb 4 – Feb 3 next year |
| 1996 | Bing Zi | Water Below the Valley | Feb 4 – Feb 3 next year |
| 1984 | Jia Zi | Gold in the Sea | Feb 4 – Feb 3 next year |
| 1972 | Ren Zi | Mulberry Wood | Feb 5 – Feb 3 next year |
| 1960 | Geng Zi | Earth on the Wall | Feb 5 – Feb 3 next year |
| 1948 | Wu Zi | Thunderbolt Fire | Feb 5 – Feb 3 next year |
Calculate your BaZi chart
Enter your birth details to discover your Day Master, elemental balance, and how these concepts apply to your Four Pillars.
What Element Is the Rat? The Five Kinds of Rat
The Rat's element is Water, because the branch Zi is Water. That holds for every Rat.
Every Rat year's pillar ends in Zi. What differs is the first character, the heavenly stem, and it decides which of the five Rats you are. For example, 1984 is Jia Zi. Its stem is Wood, so 1984 is a Wood Rat.
| Type | Year pillar | Birth years |
|---|---|---|
| Metal Rat | Geng Zi | 1960, 2020 |
| Wood Rat | Jia Zi | 1984 |
| Water Rat | Ren Zi | 1972 |
| Fire Rat | Bing Zi | 1996 |
| Earth Rat | Wu Zi | 1948, 2008 |
Sites disagree because some sort Rats by Na Yin instead. Na Yin is a second set of element names, one for each stem and branch pair. For 1984, the Na Yin is Gold in the Sea, so those sites call it a Metal Rat.
Rat Personality: Do Men and Women Differ?
Rats tend to be quick-witted and fast to react, and they like to keep a way out. These traits come from Zi's element. Of the twelve branches, Zi holds the most Water, and tradition links Water with intelligence.
So Rats are often described as full of ideas and well informed. In a new place, they soon work out how things run.
The other side is overthinking and keeping your cards close. Among strangers, you may watch first and act later.
There is no difference between men and women. These readings apply to both.
Which Animals Match the Rat, and Which Do Not?
The Rat matches best with the Dragon, Monkey and Ox, and worst with the Horse. In folk tradition, your allies are the animals that form a trine or a six harmony with yours.
- TrineThree earthly branches form a group. For the Rat, the other two are the Monkey and the Dragon.
- Six HarmonyTwo branches form a pair. The Rat pairs with the Ox.
The Rat sits in the middle of its trine, so it bonds with each of the other two on its own. That makes the Monkey and the Dragon equally close to the Rat.
A poor match comes in four kinds, and some weigh more than others.
- ClashSet the twelve animals in a circle, and the two directly opposite collide.
- PunishmentEach holds the other back, so friction comes easily.
- HarmAll looks calm on the surface, but each quietly gets in the other's way.
- BreakA minor loss.
| Animal | Branch | Relation | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horse | Wu | Clash | Heavier |
| Rabbit | Mao | Punishment | Lighter |
| Goat | Wei | Harm | Lighter |
| Rooster | Yǒu | Break | Lighter |
Punishment, harm and break are not ranked against each other. Two Rats together are not a bad match.
What Does the Rat Face This Year? Clash and Harm Years
It depends on the animal of the year: a Horse year clashes with the Rat, and a Goat year harms it. Tai Sui is the branch of the current year, so in a Horse year it is Wu. Each year's influence is called the annual fortune (Liu Nian).
For a Rat, the twelve-year cycle runs like this:
- RatYour own year
- HorseClash
- RabbitPunishment
- GoatHarm
- RoosterBreak
- Ox, Dragon and MonkeyHarmony
A Rat year is your own year (Ben Ming Nian). Tradition weighs your own year and a clash the most. Punishment, harm and break are lighter, and harmony is seen as a help.
Offending Tai Sui compares two animals only. It is not a full forecast for your year. For each animal's outlook and tips for the year, see the CNY BaZi Fortune Guide.
Why Do Rats Born the Same Year Have Different Lives?
Because your animal is just one character in your BaZi: the Zi of your year pillar. Everyone born that year shares it, but the month, day and hour pillars differ.
The character that stands for you is the Day Master, the stem of the day you were born. Your temperament and way of working are read from it, together with the strength of the Five Elements.
Whether a year goes well depends on how its two characters relate to your whole chart.
