---
title: "1994 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Dog (甲戌), 10 Feb 1994 to 30 Jan 1995 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1994 is the Year of the Wood Dog, 狗 gǒu: from Chinese New Year on 10 February 1994 to 30 January 1995, so a birthday before 10 February 1994 is a Rooster. What Wood means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属狗."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1994"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1994: Year of the Wood Dog

1994 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 gǒu, a Wood year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 10 February 1994 and runs to 30 January 1995. Born from 1 January to 9 February 1994? You are a [Rooster, 1993](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1993).

狗

gǒu

Wood Dog

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

**Element**
木 mù Wood, yang

**Cycle name**
甲戌年 jiǎ xū nián

**Starts**
10 February 1994

**Ends**
30 January 1995

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

**Age**
Born in 1994? You turn 32 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1994-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1994 in Chinese

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

- 一九九四年 yī jiǔ jiǔ sì nián 1994
- 甲戌年 jiǎ xū nián the 甲戌 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九九四年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ jiǔ sì nián chū shēng de I was born in 1994.
- 我属狗 wǒ shǔ gǒu I'm a Dog.
- 木狗 mù gǒu Wood Dog

## 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 Dog

- 忠诚 zhōngchéng loyal
- 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 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 1994?

1994 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 (gǒu), from Chinese New Year on 10 February 1994 to 30 January 1995. Its element is Wood, so people born in it are Wood Dogs.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1994?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 9 February 1994? You belong to 1993, the Year of the Water Rooster.

### What element is 1994 in the Chinese zodiac?

Wood, 木 (mù). 1994 is 甲戌 (jiǎ xū) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Wood year; the Wood Dog comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1994 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九九四年 (yī jiǔ jiǔ sì nián). “I was born in 1994” is 我是一九九四年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ jiǔ sì nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Dog” is 我属狗 (wǒ shǔ gǒu).