---
title: "1970 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Dog (庚戌), 6 Feb 1970 to 26 Jan 1971 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1970 is the Year of the Metal Dog, 狗 gǒu: from Chinese New Year on 6 February 1970 to 26 January 1971, so a birthday before 6 February 1970 is a Rooster. What Metal means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属狗."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1970"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1970: Year of the Metal Dog

1970 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 gǒu, a Metal year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 6 February 1970 and runs to 26 January 1971. Born from 1 January to 5 February 1970? You are a [Rooster, 1969](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1969).

狗

gǒu

Metal Dog

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

**Element**
金 jīn Metal, yang

**Cycle name**
庚戌年 gēng xū nián

**Starts**
6 February 1970

**Ends**
26 January 1971

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

**Age**
Born in 1970? You turn 56 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1970-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1970 in Chinese

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

- 一九七〇年 yī jiǔ qī líng nián 1970
- 庚戌年 gēng xū nián the 庚戌 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九七〇年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ qī líng nián chū shēng de I was born in 1970.
- 我属狗 wǒ shǔ gǒu I'm a Dog.
- 金狗 jīn gǒu Metal Dog

## 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 Dog

- 忠诚 zhōngchéng loyal
- 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 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 1970?

1970 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 (gǒu), from Chinese New Year on 6 February 1970 to 26 January 1971. Its element is Metal, so people born in it are Metal Dogs.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1970?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 5 February 1970? You belong to 1969, the Year of the Earth Rooster.

### What element is 1970 in the Chinese zodiac?

Metal, 金 (jīn). 1970 is 庚戌 (gēng xū) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Metal year; the Metal Dog comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1970 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九七〇年 (yī jiǔ qī líng nián). “I was born in 1970” is 我是一九七〇年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ qī líng nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Dog” is 我属狗 (wǒ shǔ gǒu).