---
title: "1982 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Dog (壬戌), 25 Jan 1982 to 12 Feb 1983 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1982 is the Year of the Water Dog, 狗 gǒu: from Chinese New Year on 25 January 1982 to 12 February 1983, so a birthday before 25 January 1982 is a Rooster. What Water means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属狗."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1982"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1982: Year of the Water Dog

1982 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 gǒu, a Water year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 25 January 1982 and runs to 12 February 1983. Born from 1 January to 24 January 1982? You are a [Rooster, 1981](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1981).

狗

gǒu

Water Dog

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

**Element**
水 shuǐ Water, yang

**Cycle name**
壬戌年 rén xū nián

**Starts**
25 January 1982

**Ends**
12 February 1983

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

**Age**
Born in 1982? You turn 44 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1982-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1982 in Chinese

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

- 一九八二年 yī jiǔ bā èr nián 1982
- 壬戌年 rén xū nián the 壬戌 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九八二年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ bā èr nián chū shēng de I was born in 1982.
- 我属狗 wǒ shǔ gǒu I'm a Dog.
- 水狗 shuǐ gǒu Water Dog

## 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 Dog

- 忠诚 zhōngchéng loyal
- 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 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 1982?

1982 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 (gǒu), from Chinese New Year on 25 January 1982 to 12 February 1983. Its element is Water, so people born in it are Water Dogs.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1982?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 24 January 1982? You belong to 1981, the Year of the Metal Rooster.

### What element is 1982 in the Chinese zodiac?

Water, 水 (shuǐ). 1982 is 壬戌 (rén xū) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Water year; the Water Dog comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1982 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九八二年 (yī jiǔ bā èr nián). “I was born in 1982” is 我是一九八二年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ bā èr nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Dog” is 我属狗 (wǒ shǔ gǒu).