Understanding the Rat zodiac
Rat is number 1 in the twelve-animal Chinese zodiac and corresponds to the Earthly Branch 子. It follows Pig and precedes Ox. The animal cycle repeats every 12 Chinese lunar years, while the complete Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch combination repeats every 60 years. Sharing the Rat sign does not mean sharing the same stem–branch year, personality or life experience.
How to read the year table
Within the table’s 1950–2026 range, the Rat years are 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020. Each year label identifies the Gregorian year in which that Chinese lunar year begins. Both boundary dates are Gregorian and inclusive: the 2020 cycle runs from 2020-01-25 to 2021-02-11, extending into the next Gregorian year. Earlier cycles exist even though they fall outside this table.
Birthdays near Chinese New Year
For the most recent cycle shown, a birth on 2020-01-24 still belongs to the previous Pig year; the Rat year starts on 2020-01-25. For a January or February birthday, compare the complete birth date with the interval. Dividing the Gregorian birth year by 12 or changing signs on 1 January can misclassify births before Chinese New Year.
This Chinese zodiac tool changes year on Chinese Lunar New Year, not 1 January or the Start of Spring solar term.
Zodiac years and actual age
The age column covers people born anywhere in the corresponding Chinese lunar year, including its dates in the next Gregorian year, as of the date displayed. A year that has not started shows “—”. This is a range; an exact age requires a full Gregorian birth date. People with the same sign may be 12, 24 or more years apart. A returning zodiac year does not mean their birthday has already passed.
Age increases on the anniversary. For 29 February, this tool uses 1 March in common years; this is not a legal eligibility decision.