---
title: "2018 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Dog (戊戌), 16 Feb 2018 to 4 Feb 2019 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "2018 is the Year of the Earth Dog, 狗 gǒu: from Chinese New Year on 16 February 2018 to 4 February 2019, so a birthday before 16 February 2018 is a Rooster. What Earth means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属狗."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2018"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 2018: Year of the Earth Dog

2018 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 gǒu, an Earth year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 16 February 2018 and runs to 4 February 2019. Born from 1 January to 15 February 2018? You are a [Rooster, 2017](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2017).

狗

gǒu

Earth Dog

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

**Element**
土 tǔ Earth, yang

**Cycle name**
戊戌年 wù xū nián

**Starts**
16 February 2018

**Ends**
4 February 2019

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

**Age**
Born in 2018? You turn 8 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=2018-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 2018 in Chinese

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

- 二〇一八年 èr líng yī bā nián 2018
- 戊戌年 wù xū nián the 戊戌 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是二〇一八年出生的 wǒ shì èr líng yī bā nián chū shēng de I was born in 2018.
- 我属狗 wǒ shǔ gǒu I'm a Dog.
- 土狗 tǔ gǒu Earth Dog

## 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 Dog

- 忠诚 zhōngchéng loyal
- 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 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 2018?

2018 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 (gǒu), from Chinese New Year on 16 February 2018 to 4 February 2019. Its element is Earth, so people born in it are Earth Dogs.

### What if I was born in January or early February 2018?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 15 February 2018? You belong to 2017, the Year of the Fire Rooster.

### What element is 2018 in the Chinese zodiac?

Earth, 土 (tǔ). 2018 is 戊戌 (wù xū) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Earth year; the Earth Dog comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 2018 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 二〇一八年 (èr líng yī bā nián). “I was born in 2018” is 我是二〇一八年出生的 (wǒ shì èr líng yī bā nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Dog” is 我属狗 (wǒ shǔ gǒu).