---
title: "1963 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Rabbit (癸卯), 25 Jan 1963 to 12 Feb 1964 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1963 is the Year of the Water Rabbit, 兔 tù: from Chinese New Year on 25 January 1963 to 12 February 1964, so a birthday before 25 January 1963 is a Tiger. What Water means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属兔."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1963"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1963: Year of the Water Rabbit

1963 is the Year of the Rabbit, 兔 tù, a Water year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 25 January 1963 and runs to 12 February 1964. Born from 1 January to 24 January 1963? You are a [Tiger, 1962](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1962).

兔

tù

Water Rabbit

**Animal**
[兔 tù Rabbit](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/rabbit)

**Element**
水 shuǐ Water, yin

**Cycle name**
癸卯年 guǐ mǎo nián

**Starts**
25 January 1963

**Ends**
12 February 1964

**Matches**
Goat, Pig and Dog; clashes with Rooster

**Age**
Born in 1963? You turn 63 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1963-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1963 in Chinese

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

- 一九六三年 yī jiǔ liù sān nián 1963
- 癸卯年 guǐ mǎo nián the 癸卯 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九六三年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ liù sān nián chū shēng de I was born in 1963.
- 我属兔 wǒ shǔ tù I'm a Rabbit.
- 水兔 shuǐ tù Water Rabbit

## 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 Rabbit

- 温柔 wēnróu gentle
- 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 Rabbit, 兔

The Rabbit is the Jade Rabbit, 玉兔, who lives on the moon with Chang’e. People born in a Rabbit year are said to be gentle, kind and graceful, peacemakers with good taste who would rather talk than fight.

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

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1963?

1963 is the Year of the Rabbit, 兔 (tù), from Chinese New Year on 25 January 1963 to 12 February 1964. Its element is Water, so people born in it are Water Rabbits.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1963?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 24 January 1963? You belong to 1962, the Year of the Water Tiger.

### What element is 1963 in the Chinese zodiac?

Water, 水 (shuǐ). 1963 is 癸卯 (guǐ mǎo) in the sixty-year cycle, a yin Water year; the Water Rabbit comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1963 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九六三年 (yī jiǔ liù sān nián). “I was born in 1963” is 我是一九六三年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ liù sān nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Rabbit” is 我属兔 (wǒ shǔ tù).