---
title: "1990 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Horse (庚午), 27 Jan 1990 to 14 Feb 1991 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1990 is the Year of the Metal Horse, 马 mǎ: from Chinese New Year on 27 January 1990 to 14 February 1991, so a birthday before 27 January 1990 is a Snake. What Metal means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属马."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1990"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1990: Year of the Metal Horse

1990 is the Year of the Horse, 马 mǎ, a Metal year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 27 January 1990 and runs to 14 February 1991. Born from 1 January to 26 January 1990? You are a [Snake, 1989](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1989).

马

mǎ

Metal Horse

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

**Element**
金 jīn Metal, yang

**Cycle name**
庚午年 gēng wǔ nián

**Starts**
27 January 1990

**Ends**
14 February 1991

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

**Age**
Born in 1990? You turn 36 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1990-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1990 in Chinese

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

- 一九九〇年 yī jiǔ jiǔ líng nián 1990
- 庚午年 gēng wǔ nián the 庚午 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九九〇年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ jiǔ líng nián chū shēng de I was born in 1990.
- 我属马 wǒ shǔ mǎ I'm a Horse.
- 金马 jīn mǎ Metal Horse

## What Metal means

金Metal is strength and a clean edge, the harvest of autumn. People born in a Metal year are said to be determined and clear-minded, sure of what they want.

**Season**
秋 qiū autumn

**Direction**
西 xī west

**Colour**
白 bái white

### Words for a Metal Horse

- 活泼 huópō lively
- 坚强 jiānqiáng strong-willed
- 果断 guǒduàn decisive

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 1990?

1990 is the Year of the Horse, 马 (mǎ), from Chinese New Year on 27 January 1990 to 14 February 1991. Its element is Metal, so people born in it are Metal Horses.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1990?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 26 January 1990? You belong to 1989, the Year of the Earth Snake.

### What element is 1990 in the Chinese zodiac?

Metal, 金 (jīn). 1990 is 庚午 (gēng wǔ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Metal year; the Metal Horse comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1990 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九九〇年 (yī jiǔ jiǔ líng nián). “I was born in 1990” is 我是一九九〇年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ jiǔ líng nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Horse” is 我属马 (wǒ shǔ mǎ).