---
title: "1942 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Horse (壬午), 15 Feb 1942 to 4 Feb 1943 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1942 is the Year of the Water Horse, 马 mǎ: from Chinese New Year on 15 February 1942 to 4 February 1943, so a birthday before 15 February 1942 is a Snake. What Water means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属马."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1942"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1942: Year of the Water Horse

1942 is the Year of the Horse, 马 mǎ, a Water year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 15 February 1942 and runs to 4 February 1943. Born from 1 January to 14 February 1942? You are a [Snake, 1941](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1941).

马

mǎ

Water Horse

**Animal**
[马 mǎ Horse](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/horse)

**Element**
水 shuǐ Water, yang

**Cycle name**
壬午年 rén wǔ nián

**Starts**
15 February 1942

**Ends**
4 February 1943

**Matches**
Dog, Tiger and Goat; clashes with Rat

**Age**
Born in 1942? You turn 84 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1942-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1942 in Chinese

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

- 一九四二年 yī jiǔ sì èr nián 1942
- 壬午年 rén wǔ nián the 壬午 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九四二年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ sì èr nián chū shēng de I was born in 1942.
- 我属马 wǒ shǔ mǎ I'm a Horse.
- 水马 shuǐ mǎ Water Horse

## What Water means

水Water is calm and finds a way around anything. People born in a Water year are said to be wise and adaptable, good listeners who read a room.

**Season**
冬 dōng winter

**Direction**
北 běi north

**Colour**
黑 hēi black

### Words for a Water Horse

- 活泼 huópō lively
- 聪明 cōngming clever
- 灵活 línghuó adaptable

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 Horse, 马

The Horse runs free. People born in a Horse year are said to be lively, warm and independent, quick on their feet and happiest on the move and in good company.

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

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1942?

1942 is the Year of the Horse, 马 (mǎ), from Chinese New Year on 15 February 1942 to 4 February 1943. Its element is Water, so people born in it are Water Horses.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1942?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 14 February 1942? You belong to 1941, the Year of the Metal Snake.

### What element is 1942 in the Chinese zodiac?

Water, 水 (shuǐ). 1942 is 壬午 (rén wǔ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Water year; the Water Horse comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1942 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九四二年 (yī jiǔ sì èr nián). “I was born in 1942” is 我是一九四二年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ sì èr nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Horse” is 我属马 (wǒ shǔ mǎ).