---
title: "1966 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Horse (丙午), 21 Jan 1966 to 8 Feb 1967 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1966 is the Year of the Fire Horse, 马 mǎ: from Chinese New Year on 21 January 1966 to 8 February 1967, so a birthday before 21 January 1966 is a Snake. What Fire means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属马."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1966"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1966: Year of the Fire Horse

1966 is the Year of the Horse, 马 mǎ, a Fire year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 21 January 1966 and runs to 8 February 1967. Born from 1 January to 20 January 1966? You are a [Snake, 1965](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1965).

马

mǎ

Fire Horse

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

**Element**
火 huǒ Fire, yang

**Cycle name**
丙午年 bǐng wǔ nián

**Starts**
21 January 1966

**Ends**
8 February 1967

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

**Age**
Born in 1966? You turn 60 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1966-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1966 in Chinese

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

- 一九六六年 yī jiǔ liù liù nián 1966
- 丙午年 bǐng wǔ nián the 丙午 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九六六年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ liù liù nián chū shēng de I was born in 1966.
- 我属马 wǒ shǔ mǎ I'm a Horse.
- 火马 huǒ mǎ Fire Horse

## 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 Horse

- 活泼 huópō lively
- 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 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 1966?

1966 is the Year of the Horse, 马 (mǎ), from Chinese New Year on 21 January 1966 to 8 February 1967. Its element is Fire, so people born in it are Fire Horses.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1966?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 20 January 1966? You belong to 1965, the Year of the Wood Snake.

### What element is 1966 in the Chinese zodiac?

Fire, 火 (huǒ). 1966 is 丙午 (bǐng wǔ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Fire year; the Fire Horse comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1966 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九六六年 (yī jiǔ liù liù nián). “I was born in 1966” is 我是一九六六年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ liù liù nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Horse” is 我属马 (wǒ shǔ mǎ).