1972: Year of the Water Rat
1972 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 , a Water year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 15 February 1972 and runs to 2 February 1973. Born from 1 January to 14 February 1972? You are a Pig, 1971.
1972 in the Chinese zodiac
鼠
Water Rat
- Animal
- 鼠 Rat
- Element
- 水 Water, yang
- Cycle name
- 壬子年
- Starts
- 15 February 1972
- Ends
- 2 February 1973
- Matches
- Dragon, Monkey and Ox; clashes with Horse
- Age
- Born in 1972? You turn 54 in 2026.
Say 1972 in Chinese
A year is read digit by digit, then 年 : no “nineteen eighty-three”.
- 一九七二年 1972
- 壬子年 the 壬子 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九七二年出生的 I was born in 1972.
- 我属鼠 I'm a Rat.
- 水鼠 Water Rat
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 winter
- Direction
- 北 north
- Colour
- 黑 black
Words for a Water Rat
- 机灵 quick-witted
- 聪明 clever
- 灵活 adaptable
Each year has one of five elements, 五行 , two years each, so the same animal and element meet once every sixty years. The traits are what tradition says, for fun.
The Rat, 鼠
The Rat comes first of the twelve: in the old story of the Great Race it rode across the river on the Ox’s back and jumped off at the finish. People born in a Rat year are said to be quick-witted and resourceful, the first to spot a chance and careful to save for a rainy day.
Questions
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1972?
1972 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 (shǔ), from Chinese New Year on 15 February 1972 to 2 February 1973. Its element is Water, so people born in it are Water Rats.
What if I was born in January or early February 1972?
The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 14 February 1972? You belong to 1971, the Year of the Metal Pig.
What element is 1972 in the Chinese zodiac?
Water, 水 (shuǐ). 1972 is 壬子 (rén zǐ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Water year; the Water Rat comes round once every sixty years.
How do you say 1972 in Chinese?
Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九七二年 (yī jiǔ qī èr nián). “I was born in 1972” is 我是一九七二年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ qī èr nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Rat” is 我属鼠 (wǒ shǔ shǔ).