---
title: "2010 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Tiger (庚寅), 14 Feb 2010 to 2 Feb 2011 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "2010 is the Year of the Metal Tiger, 虎 hǔ: from Chinese New Year on 14 February 2010 to 2 February 2011, so a birthday before 14 February 2010 is a Ox. What Metal means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属虎."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2010"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 2010: Year of the Metal Tiger

2010 is the Year of the Tiger, 虎 hǔ, a Metal year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 14 February 2010 and runs to 2 February 2011. Born from 1 January to 13 February 2010? You are a [Ox, 2009](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2009).

虎

hǔ

Metal Tiger

**Animal**
[虎 hǔ Tiger](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/tiger)

**Element**
金 jīn Metal, yang

**Cycle name**
庚寅年 gēng yín nián

**Starts**
14 February 2010

**Ends**
2 February 2011

**Matches**
Horse, Dog and Pig; clashes with Monkey

**Age**
Born in 2010? You turn 16 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=2010-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 2010 in Chinese

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

- 二〇一〇年 èr líng yī líng nián 2010
- 庚寅年 gēng yín nián the 庚寅 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是二〇一〇年出生的 wǒ shì èr líng yī líng nián chū shēng de I was born in 2010.
- 我属虎 wǒ shǔ hǔ I'm a Tiger.
- 金虎 jīn hǔ Metal Tiger

## 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 Tiger

- 勇敢 yǒnggǎn brave
- 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 Tiger, 虎

The Tiger is king of the mountain forests, with the stripes of 王, “king”, on its forehead. People born in a Tiger year are said to be brave and confident, born leaders who act fast and protect the people they love.

[Tiger personality, matches and sayings](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/tiger)

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 2010?

2010 is the Year of the Tiger, 虎 (hǔ), from Chinese New Year on 14 February 2010 to 2 February 2011. Its element is Metal, so people born in it are Metal Tigers.

### What if I was born in January or early February 2010?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 13 February 2010? You belong to 2009, the Year of the Earth Ox.

### What element is 2010 in the Chinese zodiac?

Metal, 金 (jīn). 2010 is 庚寅 (gēng yín) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Metal year; the Metal Tiger comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 2010 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 二〇一〇年 (èr líng yī líng nián). “I was born in 2010” is 我是二〇一〇年出生的 (wǒ shì èr líng yī líng nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Tiger” is 我属虎 (wǒ shǔ hǔ).