---
title: "1936 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Rat (丙子), 24 Jan 1936 to 10 Feb 1937 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1936 is the Year of the Fire Rat, 鼠 shǔ: from Chinese New Year on 24 January 1936 to 10 February 1937, so a birthday before 24 January 1936 is a Pig. What Fire means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属鼠."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1936"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1936: Year of the Fire Rat

1936 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 shǔ, a Fire year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 24 January 1936 and runs to 10 February 1937. Born from 1 January to 23 January 1936? You are a [Pig, 1935](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1935).

鼠

shǔ

Fire Rat

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

**Element**
火 huǒ Fire, yang

**Cycle name**
丙子年 bǐng zǐ nián

**Starts**
24 January 1936

**Ends**
10 February 1937

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

**Age**
Born in 1936? You turn 90 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1936-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1936 in Chinese

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

- 一九三六年 yī jiǔ sān liù nián 1936
- 丙子年 bǐng zǐ nián the 丙子 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九三六年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ sān liù nián chū shēng de I was born in 1936.
- 我属鼠 wǒ shǔ shǔ I'm a Rat.
- 火鼠 huǒ shǔ Fire Rat

## What Fire means

火Fire is warmth and light at the height of summer. People born in a Fire year are said to be passionate and bold, the first to start and the last to give up.

**Season**
夏 xià summer

**Direction**
南 nán south

**Colour**
红 hóng red

### Words for a Fire Rat

- 机灵 jīling quick-witted
- 热情 rèqíng warm-hearted
- 乐观 lèguān optimistic

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 1936?

1936 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 (shǔ), from Chinese New Year on 24 January 1936 to 10 February 1937. Its element is Fire, so people born in it are Fire Rats.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1936?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 23 January 1936? You belong to 1935, the Year of the Wood Pig.

### What element is 1936 in the Chinese zodiac?

Fire, 火 (huǒ). 1936 is 丙子 (bǐng zǐ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Fire year; the Fire Rat comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1936 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九三六年 (yī jiǔ sān liù nián). “I was born in 1936” is 我是一九三六年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ sān liù nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Rat” is 我属鼠 (wǒ shǔ shǔ).