---
title: "1961 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Ox (辛丑), 15 Feb 1961 to 4 Feb 1962 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1961 is the Year of the Metal Ox, 牛 niú: from Chinese New Year on 15 February 1961 to 4 February 1962, so a birthday before 15 February 1961 is a Rat. What Metal means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属牛."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1961"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1961: Year of the Metal Ox

1961 is the Year of the Ox, 牛 niú, a Metal year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 15 February 1961 and runs to 4 February 1962. Born from 1 January to 14 February 1961? You are a [Rat, 1960](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1960).

牛

niú

Metal Ox

**Animal**
[牛 niú Ox](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/ox)

**Element**
金 jīn Metal, yin

**Cycle name**
辛丑年 xīn chǒu nián

**Starts**
15 February 1961

**Ends**
4 February 1962

**Matches**
Snake, Rooster and Rat; clashes with Goat

**Age**
Born in 1961? You turn 65 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1961-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1961 in Chinese

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

- 一九六一年 yī jiǔ liù yī nián 1961
- 辛丑年 xīn chǒu nián the 辛丑 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九六一年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ liù yī nián chū shēng de I was born in 1961.
- 我属牛 wǒ shǔ niú I'm a Ox.
- 金牛 jīn niú Metal Ox

## 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 Ox

- 勤劳 qínláo hard-working
- 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 Ox, 牛

The Ox carried the Rat across the river and came in second. People born in an Ox year are said to be patient, honest and hard-working: slow to start, and then impossible to stop.

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

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1961?

1961 is the Year of the Ox, 牛 (niú), from Chinese New Year on 15 February 1961 to 4 February 1962. Its element is Metal, so people born in it are Metal Oxs.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1961?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 14 February 1961? You belong to 1960, the Year of the Metal Rat.

### What element is 1961 in the Chinese zodiac?

Metal, 金 (jīn). 1961 is 辛丑 (xīn chǒu) in the sixty-year cycle, a yin Metal year; the Metal Ox comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1961 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九六一年 (yī jiǔ liù yī nián). “I was born in 1961” is 我是一九六一年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ liù yī nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Ox” is 我属牛 (wǒ shǔ niú).