---
title: "1938 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Tiger (戊寅), 31 Jan 1938 to 18 Feb 1939 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1938 is the Year of the Earth Tiger, 虎 hǔ: from Chinese New Year on 31 January 1938 to 18 February 1939, so a birthday before 31 January 1938 is a Ox. What Earth means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属虎."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1938"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1938: Year of the Earth Tiger

1938 is the Year of the Tiger, 虎 hǔ, an Earth year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 31 January 1938 and runs to 18 February 1939. Born from 1 January to 30 January 1938? You are a [Ox, 1937](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1937).

虎

hǔ

Earth Tiger

**Animal**
[虎 hǔ Tiger](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/tiger)

**Element**
土 tǔ Earth, yang

**Cycle name**
戊寅年 wù yín nián

**Starts**
31 January 1938

**Ends**
18 February 1939

**Matches**
Horse, Dog and Pig; clashes with Monkey

**Age**
Born in 1938? You turn 88 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1938-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1938 in Chinese

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

- 一九三八年 yī jiǔ sān bā nián 1938
- 戊寅年 wù yín nián the 戊寅 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九三八年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ sān bā nián chū shēng de I was born in 1938.
- 我属虎 wǒ shǔ hǔ I'm a Tiger.
- 土虎 tǔ hǔ Earth Tiger

## What Earth means

土Earth is the ground everything stands on, at the centre of the five. People born in an Earth year are said to be steady and patient, the friend everyone leans on.

**Season**
长夏 cháng xià late summer

**Direction**
中 zhōng the centre

**Colour**
黄 huáng yellow

### Words for an Earth Tiger

- 勇敢 yǒnggǎn brave
- 稳重 wěnzhòng steady
- 可靠 kěkào reliable

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 Tiger, 虎

The Tiger is king of the mountain forests, with the stripes of 王, “king”, on its forehead. People born in a Tiger year are said to be brave and confident, born leaders who act fast and protect the people they love.

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

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1938?

1938 is the Year of the Tiger, 虎 (hǔ), from Chinese New Year on 31 January 1938 to 18 February 1939. Its element is Earth, so people born in it are Earth Tigers.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1938?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 30 January 1938? You belong to 1937, the Year of the Fire Ox.

### What element is 1938 in the Chinese zodiac?

Earth, 土 (tǔ). 1938 is 戊寅 (wù yín) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Earth year; the Earth Tiger comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1938 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九三八年 (yī jiǔ sān bā nián). “I was born in 1938” is 我是一九三八年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ sān bā nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Tiger” is 我属虎 (wǒ shǔ hǔ).