---
title: "1972 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Rat (壬子), 15 Feb 1972 to 2 Feb 1973 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1972 is the Year of the Water Rat, 鼠 shǔ: from Chinese New Year on 15 February 1972 to 2 February 1973, so a birthday before 15 February 1972 is a Pig. What Water means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属鼠."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1972"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1972: Year of the Water Rat

1972 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 shǔ, 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](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1971).

鼠

shǔ

Water Rat

**Animal**
[鼠 shǔ Rat](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/rat)

**Element**
水 shuǐ Water, yang

**Cycle name**
壬子年 rén zǐ nián

**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.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1972-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1972 in Chinese

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

- 一九七二年 yī jiǔ qī èr nián 1972
- 壬子年 rén zǐ nián the 壬子 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九七二年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ qī èr nián chū shēng de I was born in 1972.
- 我属鼠 wǒ shǔ shǔ I'm a Rat.
- 水鼠 shuǐ shǔ 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 dōng winter

**Direction**
北 běi north

**Colour**
黑 hēi black

### Words for a Water Rat

- 机灵 jīling quick-witted
- 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 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.

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

## 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).