---
title: "2008 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Rat (戊子), 7 Feb 2008 to 25 Jan 2009 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "2008 is the Year of the Earth Rat, 鼠 shǔ: from Chinese New Year on 7 February 2008 to 25 January 2009, so a birthday before 7 February 2008 is a Pig. What Earth means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属鼠."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2008"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 2008: Year of the Earth Rat

2008 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 shǔ, an Earth year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 7 February 2008 and runs to 25 January 2009. Born from 1 January to 6 February 2008? You are a [Pig, 2007](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2007).

鼠

shǔ

Earth Rat

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

**Element**
土 tǔ Earth, yang

**Cycle name**
戊子年 wù zǐ nián

**Starts**
7 February 2008

**Ends**
25 January 2009

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

**Age**
Born in 2008? You turn 18 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=2008-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 2008 in Chinese

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

- 二〇〇八年 èr líng líng bā nián 2008
- 戊子年 wù zǐ nián the 戊子 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是二〇〇八年出生的 wǒ shì èr líng líng bā nián chū shēng de I was born in 2008.
- 我属鼠 wǒ shǔ shǔ I'm a Rat.
- 土鼠 tǔ shǔ Earth Rat

## 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 Rat

- 机灵 jīling quick-witted
- 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 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 2008?

2008 is the Year of the Rat, 鼠 (shǔ), from Chinese New Year on 7 February 2008 to 25 January 2009. Its element is Earth, so people born in it are Earth Rats.

### What if I was born in January or early February 2008?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 6 February 2008? You belong to 2007, the Year of the Fire Pig.

### What element is 2008 in the Chinese zodiac?

Earth, 土 (tǔ). 2008 is 戊子 (wù zǐ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Earth year; the Earth Rat comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 2008 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 二〇〇八年 (èr líng líng bā nián). “I was born in 2008” is 我是二〇〇八年出生的 (wǒ shì èr líng líng bā nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Rat” is 我属鼠 (wǒ shǔ shǔ).