---
title: "1946 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Dog (丙戌), 2 Feb 1946 to 21 Jan 1947 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1946 is the Year of the Fire Dog, 狗 gǒu: from Chinese New Year on 2 February 1946 to 21 January 1947, so a birthday before 2 February 1946 is a Rooster. What Fire means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属狗."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1946"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1946: Year of the Fire Dog

1946 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 gǒu, a Fire year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 2 February 1946 and runs to 21 January 1947. Born from 1 January to 1 February 1946? You are a [Rooster, 1945](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1945).

狗

gǒu

Fire Dog

**Animal**
[狗 gǒu Dog](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/dog)

**Element**
火 huǒ Fire, yang

**Cycle name**
丙戌年 bǐng xū nián

**Starts**
2 February 1946

**Ends**
21 January 1947

**Matches**
Tiger, Horse and Rabbit; clashes with Dragon

**Age**
Born in 1946? You turn 80 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1946-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1946 in Chinese

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

- 一九四六年 yī jiǔ sì liù nián 1946
- 丙戌年 bǐng xū nián the 丙戌 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九四六年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ sì liù nián chū shēng de I was born in 1946.
- 我属狗 wǒ shǔ gǒu I'm a Dog.
- 火狗 huǒ gǒu Fire Dog

## 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 Dog

- 忠诚 zhōngchéng loyal
- 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 Dog, 狗

The Dog is the faithful friend. People born in a Dog year are said to be loyal, honest and fair: they stand by their friends and stand up for what is right.

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

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1946?

1946 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 (gǒu), from Chinese New Year on 2 February 1946 to 21 January 1947. Its element is Fire, so people born in it are Fire Dogs.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1946?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 1 February 1946? You belong to 1945, the Year of the Wood Rooster.

### What element is 1946 in the Chinese zodiac?

Fire, 火 (huǒ). 1946 is 丙戌 (bǐng xū) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Fire year; the Fire Dog comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1946 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九四六年 (yī jiǔ sì liù nián). “I was born in 1946” is 我是一九四六年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ sì liù nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Dog” is 我属狗 (wǒ shǔ gǒu).