2020 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Rat
庚子 · 鼠 Shǔ
2020 is the Year of the Metal Rat. The Chinese year ran from Jan 25, 2020 to Feb 11, 2021, so anyone born in that span is a Metal Rat. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Jan 25, 2020, and earlier births belong to the Earth Pig year.
- Rat
- Metal
- Yang
Born in 2020?
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.
2020 at a Glance
- Animal
- Rat 鼠 shǔ
- Element
- Metal
- Yin or Yang
- Yang
- Year name
- 庚子 · sound element 壁上土
- Begins
- Saturday, Jan 25, 2020
- Ends
- Feb 11, 2021
- Age in 2026
- 5 or 6
- Next Rat year
- 2032
A 2020 Metal Rat in First Grade
Kids born in 2020 turn 6 in 2026, first-grade age in most US schools. The Rat opens the twelve-animal cycle, and tradition calls the sign quick and resourceful.
The 2020 year began on Jan 25, 2020 and lasted until Feb 11, 2021, so a January or early-February 2021 birthday is still a Metal Rat. Their first own sign year will be 2032, at 12.
Born in January or Early February 2020?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 2020 was on Saturday, Jan 25, 2020, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 24, 2020 | Earth Pig | 己亥 |
| Jan 25, 2020 to Feb 11, 2021 | Metal Rat | 庚子 |
So someone born on Jan 24, 2020 is an Earth Pig, and someone born on Jan 25, 2020 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. 2020 ends in 0, which gives Metal. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Metal Rat years include 1900 and 1960.
How Old Is a 2020 Rat, and When Is the Next Rat Year?
Someone born in 2020 turns 6 in 2026 and 7 in 2027. The last Rat year was 2008, and the next is 2032. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Rat years a 2020 Rat lives through:
- 2020Metal RatBornThis page
- 2032Water RatTurns 12
2020 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 2020 Rat in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Rat to the next two years, and how old a 2020 Rat will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Needs Care
Turns 6. Link to the Horse: Clash (冲太岁).
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Needs Care
Turns 7. Link to the Goat: Harm (害太岁).
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 2020, and the other years of the decade.
- 2018 Chinese zodiacEarth DogFeb 16, 2018 to Feb 4, 2019
- 2019 Chinese zodiacEarth PigFeb 5, 2019 to Jan 24, 2020
- 2020Metal RatJan 25, 2020 to Feb 11, 2021
- 2021 Chinese zodiacMetal OxFeb 12, 2021 to Jan 31, 2022
- 2022 Chinese zodiacWater TigerFeb 1, 2022 to Jan 21, 2023
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
20202021 Chinese zodiac2022 Chinese zodiac2023 Chinese zodiac2024 Chinese zodiac2025 Chinese zodiac2026 Chinese zodiac2028 Chinese zodiacAll Chinese zodiac years
2020 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 2020?
2020 is the Year of the Metal Rat. The Chinese year ran from Jan 25, 2020 to Feb 11, 2021.
What element is the 2020 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 2020?
Lunar New Year 2020 fell on Saturday, Jan 25, 2020. Born from January 1 to Jan 24, 2020, you are an Earth Pig. From Jan 25, 2020, you are a Metal Rat.
How old is someone born in 2020?
In 2026 they turn 6, or are 5 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 7. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Rat year after 2020?
2032, the Year of the Water Rat, begins on Feb 11, 2032.