---
title: "2001 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Snake (辛巳), 24 Jan 2001 to 11 Feb 2002 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "2001 is the Year of the Metal Snake, 蛇 shé: from Chinese New Year on 24 January 2001 to 11 February 2002, so a birthday before 24 January 2001 is a Dragon. What Metal means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属蛇."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2001"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 2001: Year of the Metal Snake

2001 is the Year of the Snake, 蛇 shé, a Metal year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 24 January 2001 and runs to 11 February 2002. Born from 1 January to 23 January 2001? You are a [Dragon, 2000](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2000).

蛇

shé

Metal Snake

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

**Element**
金 jīn Metal, yin

**Cycle name**
辛巳年 xīn sì nián

**Starts**
24 January 2001

**Ends**
11 February 2002

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

**Age**
Born in 2001? You turn 25 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=2001-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 2001 in Chinese

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

- 二〇〇一年 èr líng líng yī nián 2001
- 辛巳年 xīn sì nián the 辛巳 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是二〇〇一年出生的 wǒ shì èr líng líng yī nián chū shēng de I was born in 2001.
- 我属蛇 wǒ shǔ shé I'm a Snake.
- 金蛇 jīn shé Metal Snake

## 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 Snake

- 冷静 lěngjìng calm
- 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 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 2001?

2001 is the Year of the Snake, 蛇 (shé), from Chinese New Year on 24 January 2001 to 11 February 2002. Its element is Metal, so people born in it are Metal Snakes.

### What if I was born in January or early February 2001?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 23 January 2001? You belong to 2000, the Year of the Metal Dragon.

### What element is 2001 in the Chinese zodiac?

Metal, 金 (jīn). 2001 is 辛巳 (xīn sì) in the sixty-year cycle, a yin Metal year; the Metal Snake comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 2001 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 二〇〇一年 (èr líng líng yī nián). “I was born in 2001” is 我是二〇〇一年出生的 (wǒ shì èr líng líng yī nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Snake” is 我属蛇 (wǒ shǔ shé).