---
title: "1989 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Snake (己巳), 6 Feb 1989 to 26 Jan 1990 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1989 is the Year of the Earth Snake, 蛇 shé: from Chinese New Year on 6 February 1989 to 26 January 1990, so a birthday before 6 February 1989 is a Dragon. What Earth means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属蛇."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1989"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1989: Year of the Earth Snake

1989 is the Year of the Snake, 蛇 shé, an Earth year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 6 February 1989 and runs to 26 January 1990. Born from 1 January to 5 February 1989? You are a [Dragon, 1988](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1988).

蛇

shé

Earth Snake

**Animal**
[蛇 shé Snake](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/snake)

**Element**
土 tǔ Earth, yin

**Cycle name**
己巳年 jǐ sì nián

**Starts**
6 February 1989

**Ends**
26 January 1990

**Matches**
Rooster, Ox and Monkey; clashes with Pig

**Age**
Born in 1989? You turn 37 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1989-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1989 in Chinese

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

- 一九八九年 yī jiǔ bā jiǔ nián 1989
- 己巳年 jǐ sì nián the 己巳 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九八九年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ bā jiǔ nián chū shēng de I was born in 1989.
- 我属蛇 wǒ shǔ shé I'm a Snake.
- 土蛇 tǔ shé Earth Snake

## 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 Snake

- 冷静 lěngjìng calm
- 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 Snake, 蛇

The Snake is called the “little dragon”, 小龙. People born in a Snake year are said to be calm, wise and intuitive: private people who think before they speak and rarely miss.

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

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1989?

1989 is the Year of the Snake, 蛇 (shé), from Chinese New Year on 6 February 1989 to 26 January 1990. Its element is Earth, so people born in it are Earth Snakes.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1989?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 5 February 1989? You belong to 1988, the Year of the Earth Dragon.

### What element is 1989 in the Chinese zodiac?

Earth, 土 (tǔ). 1989 is 己巳 (jǐ sì) in the sixty-year cycle, a yin Earth year; the Earth Snake comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1989 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九八九年 (yī jiǔ bā jiǔ nián). “I was born in 1989” is 我是一九八九年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ bā jiǔ nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Snake” is 我属蛇 (wǒ shǔ shé).