---
title: "1941 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Snake (辛巳), 27 Jan 1941 to 14 Feb 1942 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1941 is the Year of the Metal Snake, 蛇 shé: from Chinese New Year on 27 January 1941 to 14 February 1942, so a birthday before 27 January 1941 is a Dragon. What Metal means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属蛇."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1941"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1941: Year of the Metal Snake

1941 is the Year of the Snake, 蛇 shé, a Metal year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 27 January 1941 and runs to 14 February 1942. Born from 1 January to 26 January 1941? You are a [Dragon, 1940](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1940).

蛇

shé

Metal Snake

**Animal**
[蛇 shé Snake](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/snake)

**Element**
金 jīn Metal, yin

**Cycle name**
辛巳年 xīn sì nián

**Starts**
27 January 1941

**Ends**
14 February 1942

**Matches**
Rooster, Ox and Monkey; clashes with Pig

**Age**
Born in 1941? You turn 85 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1941-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1941 in Chinese

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

- 一九四一年 yī jiǔ sì yī nián 1941
- 辛巳年 xīn sì nián the 辛巳 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九四一年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ sì yī nián chū shēng de I was born in 1941.
- 我属蛇 wǒ shǔ shé I'm a Snake.
- 金蛇 jīn shé Metal Snake

## What Metal means

金Metal is strength and a clean edge, the harvest of autumn. People born in a Metal year are said to be determined and clear-minded, sure of what they want.

**Season**
秋 qiū autumn

**Direction**
西 xī west

**Colour**
白 bái white

### Words for a Metal Snake

- 冷静 lěngjìng calm
- 坚强 jiānqiáng strong-willed
- 果断 guǒduàn decisive

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 Snake, 蛇

The Snake is called the “little dragon”, 小龙. People born in a Snake year are said to be calm, wise and intuitive: private people who think before they speak and rarely miss.

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

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1941?

1941 is the Year of the Snake, 蛇 (shé), from Chinese New Year on 27 January 1941 to 14 February 1942. Its element is Metal, so people born in it are Metal Snakes.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1941?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 26 January 1941? You belong to 1940, the Year of the Metal Dragon.

### What element is 1941 in the Chinese zodiac?

Metal, 金 (jīn). 1941 is 辛巳 (xīn sì) in the sixty-year cycle, a yin Metal year; the Metal Snake comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1941 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九四一年 (yī jiǔ sì yī nián). “I was born in 1941” is 我是一九四一年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ sì yī nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Snake” is 我属蛇 (wǒ shǔ shé).