---
title: "1978 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Horse (戊午), 7 Feb 1978 to 27 Jan 1979 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1978 is the Year of the Earth Horse, 马 mǎ: from Chinese New Year on 7 February 1978 to 27 January 1979, so a birthday before 7 February 1978 is a Snake. What Earth means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属马."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1978"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1978: Year of the Earth Horse

1978 is the Year of the Horse, 马 mǎ, an Earth year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 7 February 1978 and runs to 27 January 1979. Born from 1 January to 6 February 1978? You are a [Snake, 1977](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1977).

马

mǎ

Earth Horse

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

**Element**
土 tǔ Earth, yang

**Cycle name**
戊午年 wù wǔ nián

**Starts**
7 February 1978

**Ends**
27 January 1979

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

**Age**
Born in 1978? You turn 48 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1978-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1978 in Chinese

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

- 一九七八年 yī jiǔ qī bā nián 1978
- 戊午年 wù wǔ nián the 戊午 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九七八年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ qī bā nián chū shēng de I was born in 1978.
- 我属马 wǒ shǔ mǎ I'm a Horse.
- 土马 tǔ mǎ Earth Horse

## What Earth means

土Earth is the ground everything stands on, at the centre of the five. People born in an Earth year are said to be steady and patient, the friend everyone leans on.

**Season**
长夏 cháng xià late summer

**Direction**
中 zhōng the centre

**Colour**
黄 huáng yellow

### Words for an Earth Horse

- 活泼 huópō lively
- 稳重 wěnzhòng steady
- 可靠 kěkào reliable

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 1978?

1978 is the Year of the Horse, 马 (mǎ), from Chinese New Year on 7 February 1978 to 27 January 1979. Its element is Earth, so people born in it are Earth Horses.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1978?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 6 February 1978? You belong to 1977, the Year of the Fire Snake.

### What element is 1978 in the Chinese zodiac?

Earth, 土 (tǔ). 1978 is 戊午 (wù wǔ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Earth year; the Earth Horse comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1978 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九七八年 (yī jiǔ qī bā nián). “I was born in 1978” is 我是一九七八年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ qī bā nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Horse” is 我属马 (wǒ shǔ mǎ).