---
title: "1953 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Snake (癸巳), 14 Feb 1953 to 3 Feb 1954 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1953 is the Year of the Water Snake, 蛇 shé: from Chinese New Year on 14 February 1953 to 3 February 1954, so a birthday before 14 February 1953 is a Dragon. What Water means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属蛇."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1953"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1953: Year of the Water Snake

1953 is the Year of the Snake, 蛇 shé, a Water year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 14 February 1953 and runs to 3 February 1954. Born from 1 January to 13 February 1953? You are a [Dragon, 1952](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1952).

蛇

shé

Water Snake

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

**Element**
水 shuǐ Water, yin

**Cycle name**
癸巳年 guǐ sì nián

**Starts**
14 February 1953

**Ends**
3 February 1954

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

**Age**
Born in 1953? You turn 73 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1953-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1953 in Chinese

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

- 一九五三年 yī jiǔ wǔ sān nián 1953
- 癸巳年 guǐ sì nián the 癸巳 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九五三年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ wǔ sān nián chū shēng de I was born in 1953.
- 我属蛇 wǒ shǔ shé I'm a Snake.
- 水蛇 shuǐ shé Water Snake

## 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 Snake

- 冷静 lěngjìng calm
- 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 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 1953?

1953 is the Year of the Snake, 蛇 (shé), from Chinese New Year on 14 February 1953 to 3 February 1954. Its element is Water, so people born in it are Water Snakes.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1953?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 13 February 1953? You belong to 1952, the Year of the Water Dragon.

### What element is 1953 in the Chinese zodiac?

Water, 水 (shuǐ). 1953 is 癸巳 (guǐ sì) in the sixty-year cycle, a yin Water year; the Water Snake comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1953 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九五三年 (yī jiǔ wǔ sān nián). “I was born in 1953” is 我是一九五三年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ wǔ sān nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Snake” is 我属蛇 (wǒ shǔ shé).