---
title: "1984 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Rat (甲子), 2 Feb 1984 to 19 Feb 1985 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1984 is the Year of the Wood Rat, 鼠 shǔ: from Chinese New Year on 2 February 1984 to 19 February 1985, so a birthday before 2 February 1984 is a Pig. What Wood means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属鼠."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1984"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1984: Year of the Wood Rat

1984 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 shǔ, a Wood year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 2 February 1984 and runs to 19 February 1985. Born from 1 January to 1 February 1984? You are a [Pig, 1983](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1983).

鼠

shǔ

Wood Rat

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

**Element**
木 mù Wood, yang

**Cycle name**
甲子年 jiǎ zǐ nián

**Starts**
2 February 1984

**Ends**
19 February 1985

**Matches**
Dragon, Monkey and Ox; clashes with Horse

**Age**
Born in 1984? You turn 42 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1984-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1984 in Chinese

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

- 一九八四年 yī jiǔ bā sì nián 1984
- 甲子年 jiǎ zǐ nián the 甲子 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九八四年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ bā sì nián chū shēng de I was born in 1984.
- 我属鼠 wǒ shǔ shǔ I'm a Rat.
- 木鼠 mù shǔ Wood Rat

## What Wood means

木Wood is growth: a tree reaching up and out. People born in a Wood year are said to be generous and kind, slow to anger and quick to help.

**Season**
春 chūn spring

**Direction**
东 dōng east

**Colour**
青 qīng green

### Words for a Wood Rat

- 机灵 jīling quick-witted
- 大方 dàfang generous
- 仁慈 réncí kind

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 1984?

1984 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 (shǔ), from Chinese New Year on 2 February 1984 to 19 February 1985. Its element is Wood, so people born in it are Wood Rats.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1984?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 1 February 1984? You belong to 1983, the Year of the Water Pig.

### What element is 1984 in the Chinese zodiac?

Wood, 木 (mù). 1984 is 甲子 (jiǎ zǐ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Wood year; the Wood Rat comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1984 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九八四年 (yī jiǔ bā sì nián). “I was born in 1984” is 我是一九八四年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ bā sì nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Rat” is 我属鼠 (wǒ shǔ shǔ).