1946 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Dog
丙戌 · 狗 Gǒu
1946 is the Year of the Fire Dog. The Chinese year ran from Feb 2, 1946 to Jan 21, 1947, so anyone born in that span is a Fire Dog. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Feb 2, 1946, and earlier births belong to the Wood Rooster year.
- Dog
- Fire
- Yang
Born in 1946?
Enter your birth date to check, down to the exact Lunar New Year.
Month and day are optional. Add them if you were born in January or February. See January and February Chinese zodiac.
1946 at a Glance
- Animal
- Dog 狗 gǒu
- Element
- Fire
- Yin or Yang
- Yang
- Year name
- 丙戌 · sound element 屋上土
- Begins
- Saturday, Feb 2, 1946
- Ends
- Jan 21, 1947
- Age in 2026
- 79 or 80
- Next Dog year
- 1958
The 1946 Fire Dog at 80
People born in 1946 turn 80 in 2026, so this is often a year people look up for a parent or grandparent. Check a January birthday first: Lunar New Year fell on Feb 2, 1946, and anyone born before it is a Wood Rooster, not a Dog.
The year name is 丙戌. In Chinese tradition its sound element is 屋上土, “earth on the roof,” the image of fired roof tiles: Fire baking Earth into something that shelters a house. The same name came back in 2006, when 1946 Dogs completed a full 60-year cycle, the birthday Chinese families mark as 花甲.
Born in January or Early February 1946?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 1946 was on Saturday, Feb 2, 1946, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 1, 1946 | Wood Rooster | 乙酉 |
| Feb 2, 1946 to Jan 21, 1947 | Fire Dog | 丙戌 |
So someone born on Feb 1, 1946 is a Wood Rooster, and someone born on Feb 2, 1946 is a Fire Dog. Dates are in China Standard Time.
What Is a Fire Dog?
A Fire Dog combines the Dog with the element of the birth year. 1946 ends in 6, which gives Fire. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Fire Dog years include 2006.
How Old Is a 1946 Dog, and When Is the Next Dog Year?
Someone born in 1946 turns 80 in 2026 and 81 in 2027. The last Dog year was 1934, and the next is 1958. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Dog years a 1946 Dog lives through:
- 1946Fire DogBornThis page
- 1958 Chinese zodiacEarth DogTurns 12
- 1970 Chinese zodiacMetal DogTurns 24
- 1982 Chinese zodiacWater DogTurns 36
- 1994 Chinese zodiacWood DogTurns 48
- 2006 Chinese zodiacFire DogTurns 60 · full cycle (花甲)
- 2018 Chinese zodiacEarth DogTurns 72
- 2030Metal DogTurns 84
1946 Dog Compatibility: Best and Hardest Matches
Compatibility follows the animal, not the element. Tradition favors the signs in the Dog's trine group and its Secret Friend, and is cautious about the opposite sign and the harm pair.
The 1946 Dog in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Dog to the next two years, and how old a 1946 Dog will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Supported
Turns 80. Link to the Horse: Trine partner (三合).
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Needs Care
Turns 81. Link to the Goat: Punishment (刑太岁), Break (破太岁).
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 1946, and the other years of the decade.
- 1944Wood MonkeyJan 25, 1944 to Feb 12, 1945
- 1945Wood RoosterFeb 13, 1945 to Feb 1, 1946
- 1946Fire DogFeb 2, 1946 to Jan 21, 1947
- 1947 Chinese zodiacFire PigJan 22, 1947 to Feb 9, 1948
- 1948 Chinese zodiacEarth RatFeb 10, 1948 to Jan 28, 1949
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
19461947 Chinese zodiac1948 Chinese zodiac1949 Chinese zodiacAll Chinese zodiac years
1946 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 1946?
1946 is the Year of the Fire Dog. The Chinese year ran from Feb 2, 1946 to Jan 21, 1947.
What element is the 1946 Chinese zodiac?
Fire. A year's element follows its last digit: 6 gives Fire. The Dog's own fixed element is Earth, which is a different thing.
What Chinese zodiac is January 1946?
Lunar New Year 1946 fell on Saturday, Feb 2, 1946. Born from January 1 to Feb 1, 1946, you are a Wood Rooster. From Feb 2, 1946, you are a Fire Dog.
How old is someone born in 1946?
In 2026 they turn 80, or are 79 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 81. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Dog year after 1946?
1958, the Year of the Earth Dog, begins on Feb 18, 1958.