---
title: "1939 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Rabbit (己卯), 19 Feb 1939 to 7 Feb 1940 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1939 is the Year of the Earth Rabbit, 兔 tù: from Chinese New Year on 19 February 1939 to 7 February 1940, so a birthday before 19 February 1939 is a Tiger. What Earth means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属兔."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1939"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1939: Year of the Earth Rabbit

1939 is the Year of the Rabbit, 兔 tù, an Earth year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 19 February 1939 and runs to 7 February 1940. Born from 1 January to 18 February 1939? You are a [Tiger, 1938](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1938).

兔

tù

Earth Rabbit

**Animal**
[兔 tù Rabbit](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/rabbit)

**Element**
土 tǔ Earth, yin

**Cycle name**
己卯年 jǐ mǎo nián

**Starts**
19 February 1939

**Ends**
7 February 1940

**Matches**
Goat, Pig and Dog; clashes with Rooster

**Age**
Born in 1939? You turn 87 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1939-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1939 in Chinese

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

- 一九三九年 yī jiǔ sān jiǔ nián 1939
- 己卯年 jǐ mǎo nián the 己卯 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九三九年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ sān jiǔ nián chū shēng de I was born in 1939.
- 我属兔 wǒ shǔ tù I'm a Rabbit.
- 土兔 tǔ tù Earth Rabbit

## 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 Rabbit

- 温柔 wēnróu gentle
- 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 Rabbit, 兔

The Rabbit is the Jade Rabbit, 玉兔, who lives on the moon with Chang’e. People born in a Rabbit year are said to be gentle, kind and graceful, peacemakers with good taste who would rather talk than fight.

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

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1939?

1939 is the Year of the Rabbit, 兔 (tù), from Chinese New Year on 19 February 1939 to 7 February 1940. Its element is Earth, so people born in it are Earth Rabbits.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1939?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 18 February 1939? You belong to 1938, the Year of the Earth Tiger.

### What element is 1939 in the Chinese zodiac?

Earth, 土 (tǔ). 1939 is 己卯 (jǐ mǎo) in the sixty-year cycle, a yin Earth year; the Earth Rabbit comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1939 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九三九年 (yī jiǔ sān jiǔ nián). “I was born in 1939” is 我是一九三九年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ sān jiǔ nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Rabbit” is 我属兔 (wǒ shǔ tù).