---
title: "1924 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Rat (甲子), 5 Feb 1924 to 23 Jan 1925 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1924 is the Year of the Wood Rat, 鼠 shǔ: from Chinese New Year on 5 February 1924 to 23 January 1925, so a birthday before 5 February 1924 is a Pig. What Wood means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属鼠."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1924"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese zodiac](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac)

# 1924: Year of the Wood Rat

1924 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 shǔ, a Wood year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 5 February 1924 and runs to 23 January 1925. Born from 1 January to 4 February 1924? You are a [Pig, 1923](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1923).

鼠

shǔ

Wood Rat

**Animal**
[鼠 shǔ Rat](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/rat)

**Element**
木 mù Wood, yang

**Cycle name**
甲子年 jiǎ zǐ nián

**Starts**
5 February 1924

**Ends**
23 January 1925

**Matches**
Dragon, Monkey and Ox; clashes with Horse

**Age**
Born in 1924? You turn 102 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1924-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1924 in Chinese

A year is read digit by digit, then 年 nián: no “nineteen eighty-three”.

- 一九二四年 yī jiǔ èr sì nián 1924
- 甲子年 jiǎ zǐ nián the 甲子 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九二四年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ èr sì nián chū shēng de I was born in 1924.
- 我属鼠 wǒ shǔ shǔ I'm a Rat.
- 木鼠 mù shǔ Wood Rat

## What Wood means

木Wood is growth: a tree reaching up and out. People born in a Wood year are said to be generous and kind, slow to anger and quick to help.

**Season**
春 chūn spring

**Direction**
东 dōng east

**Colour**
青 qīng green

### Words for a Wood Rat

- 机灵 jīling quick-witted
- 大方 dàfang generous
- 仁慈 réncí kind

Each year has one of five elements, 五行 wǔ xíng, two years each, so the same animal and element meet once every sixty years. The traits are what tradition says, for fun.

## The Rat, 鼠

The Rat comes first of the twelve: in the old story of the Great Race it rode across the river on the Ox’s back and jumped off at the finish. People born in a Rat year are said to be quick-witted and resourceful, the first to spot a chance and careful to save for a rainy day.

[Rat personality, matches and sayings](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/rat)

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1924?

1924 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 (shǔ), from Chinese New Year on 5 February 1924 to 23 January 1925. Its element is Wood, so people born in it are Wood Rats.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1924?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 4 February 1924? You belong to 1923, the Year of the Water Pig.

### What element is 1924 in the Chinese zodiac?

Wood, 木 (mù). 1924 is 甲子 (jiǎ zǐ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Wood year; the Wood Rat comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1924 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九二四年 (yī jiǔ èr sì nián). “I was born in 1924” is 我是一九二四年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ èr sì nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Rat” is 我属鼠 (wǒ shǔ shǔ).