1960 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Rat
庚子 · 鼠 Shǔ
1960 is the Year of the Metal Rat. The Chinese year ran from Jan 28, 1960 to Feb 14, 1961, so anyone born in that span is a Metal Rat. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Jan 28, 1960, and earlier births belong to the Earth Pig year.
- Rat
- Metal
- Yang
Born in 1960?
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.
1960 at a Glance
- Animal
- Rat 鼠 shǔ
- Element
- Metal
- Yin or Yang
- Yang
- Year name
- 庚子 · sound element 壁上土
- Begins
- Thursday, Jan 28, 1960
- Ends
- Feb 14, 1961
- Age in 2026
- 65 or 66
- Next Rat year
- 1972
1960 Metal Rat at 66
A 1960 Rat turns 66 in 2026, and Chinese speakers have a ready phrase for that number: 六六大顺, “six-six, all goes smoothly,” a common birthday and New Year wish.
The year ran from Jan 28, 1960 to Feb 14, 1961, so most January 1960 birthdays belong to the Earth Pig year. Its year name 庚子 carries the sound element 壁上土, “earth on the wall,” in Chinese tradition.
Born in January or Early February 1960?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 1960 was on Thursday, Jan 28, 1960, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 27, 1960 | Earth Pig | 己亥 |
| Jan 28, 1960 to Feb 14, 1961 | Metal Rat | 庚子 |
So someone born on Jan 27, 1960 is an Earth Pig, and someone born on Jan 28, 1960 is a Metal Rat. Dates are in China Standard Time.
What Is a Metal Rat?
A Metal Rat combines the Rat with the element of the birth year. 1960 ends in 0, which gives Metal. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Metal Rat years include 1900 and 2020.
How Old Is a 1960 Rat, and When Is the Next Rat Year?
Someone born in 1960 turns 66 in 2026 and 67 in 2027. The last Rat year was 1948, and the next is 1972. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Rat years a 1960 Rat lives through:
- 1960Metal RatBornThis page
- 1972 Chinese zodiacWater RatTurns 12
- 1984 Chinese zodiacWood RatTurns 24
- 1996 Chinese zodiacFire RatTurns 36
- 2008 Chinese zodiacEarth RatTurns 48
- 2020 Chinese zodiacMetal RatTurns 60 · full cycle (花甲)
- 2032Water RatTurns 72
1960 Rat Compatibility: Best and Hardest Matches
Compatibility follows the animal, not the element. Tradition favors the signs in the Rat's trine group and its Secret Friend, and is cautious about the opposite sign and the harm pair.
The 1960 Rat in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Rat to the next two years, and how old a 1960 Rat will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Needs Care
Turns 66. Link to the Horse: Clash (冲太岁).
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Needs Care
Turns 67. Link to the Goat: Harm (害太岁).
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 1960, and the other years of the decade.
- 1958 Chinese zodiacEarth DogFeb 18, 1958 to Feb 7, 1959
- 1959 Chinese zodiacEarth PigFeb 8, 1959 to Jan 27, 1960
- 1960Metal RatJan 28, 1960 to Feb 14, 1961
- 1961 Chinese zodiacMetal OxFeb 15, 1961 to Feb 4, 1962
- 1962 Chinese zodiacWater TigerFeb 5, 1962 to Jan 24, 1963
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
19601961 Chinese zodiac1962 Chinese zodiac1963 Chinese zodiac1964 Chinese zodiac1965 Chinese zodiac1966 Chinese zodiac1967 Chinese zodiac1968 Chinese zodiac1969 Chinese zodiacAll Chinese zodiac years
1960 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 1960?
1960 is the Year of the Metal Rat. The Chinese year ran from Jan 28, 1960 to Feb 14, 1961.
What element is the 1960 Chinese zodiac?
Metal. A year's element follows its last digit: 0 gives Metal. The Rat's own fixed element is Water, which is a different thing.
What Chinese zodiac is January 1960?
Lunar New Year 1960 fell on Thursday, Jan 28, 1960. Born from January 1 to Jan 27, 1960, you are an Earth Pig. From Jan 28, 1960, you are a Metal Rat.
How old is someone born in 1960?
In 2026 they turn 66, or are 65 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 67. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Rat year after 1960?
1972, the Year of the Water Rat, begins on Feb 15, 1972.