---
title: "1996 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Rat (丙子), 19 Feb 1996 to 6 Feb 1997 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1996 is the Year of the Fire Rat, 鼠 shǔ: from Chinese New Year on 19 February 1996 to 6 February 1997, so a birthday before 19 February 1996 is a Pig. What Fire means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属鼠."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1996"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1996: Year of the Fire Rat

1996 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 shǔ, a Fire year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 19 February 1996 and runs to 6 February 1997. Born from 1 January to 18 February 1996? You are a [Pig, 1995](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1995).

鼠

shǔ

Fire Rat

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

**Element**
火 huǒ Fire, yang

**Cycle name**
丙子年 bǐng zǐ nián

**Starts**
19 February 1996

**Ends**
6 February 1997

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

**Age**
Born in 1996? You turn 30 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1996-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1996 in Chinese

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

- 一九九六年 yī jiǔ jiǔ liù nián 1996
- 丙子年 bǐng zǐ nián the 丙子 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九九六年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ jiǔ liù nián chū shēng de I was born in 1996.
- 我属鼠 wǒ shǔ shǔ I'm a Rat.
- 火鼠 huǒ shǔ Fire Rat

## What Fire means

火Fire is warmth and light at the height of summer. People born in a Fire year are said to be passionate and bold, the first to start and the last to give up.

**Season**
夏 xià summer

**Direction**
南 nán south

**Colour**
红 hóng red

### Words for a Fire Rat

- 机灵 jīling quick-witted
- 热情 rèqíng warm-hearted
- 乐观 lèguān optimistic

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 1996?

1996 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 (shǔ), from Chinese New Year on 19 February 1996 to 6 February 1997. Its element is Fire, so people born in it are Fire Rats.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1996?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 18 February 1996? You belong to 1995, the Year of the Wood Pig.

### What element is 1996 in the Chinese zodiac?

Fire, 火 (huǒ). 1996 is 丙子 (bǐng zǐ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Fire year; the Fire Rat comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1996 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九九六年 (yī jiǔ jiǔ liù nián). “I was born in 1996” is 我是一九九六年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ jiǔ liù nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Rat” is 我属鼠 (wǒ shǔ shǔ).