---
title: "2022 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Tiger (壬寅), 1 Feb 2022 to 21 Jan 2023 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger, 虎 hǔ: from Chinese New Year on 1 February 2022 to 21 January 2023, so a birthday before 1 February 2022 is a Ox. What Water means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属虎."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2022"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 2022: Year of the Water Tiger

2022 is the Year of the Tiger, 虎 hǔ, a Water year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 1 February 2022 and runs to 21 January 2023. Born from 1 January to 31 January 2022? You are a [Ox, 2021](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2021).

虎

hǔ

Water Tiger

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

**Element**
水 shuǐ Water, yang

**Cycle name**
壬寅年 rén yín nián

**Starts**
1 February 2022

**Ends**
21 January 2023

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

**Age**
Born in 2022? You turn 4 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=2022-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 2022 in Chinese

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

- 二〇二二年 èr líng èr èr nián 2022
- 壬寅年 rén yín nián the 壬寅 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是二〇二二年出生的 wǒ shì èr líng èr èr nián chū shēng de I was born in 2022.
- 我属虎 wǒ shǔ hǔ I'm a Tiger.
- 水虎 shuǐ hǔ Water Tiger

## What Water means

水Water is calm and finds a way around anything. People born in a Water year are said to be wise and adaptable, good listeners who read a room.

**Season**
冬 dōng winter

**Direction**
北 běi north

**Colour**
黑 hēi black

### Words for a Water Tiger

- 勇敢 yǒnggǎn brave
- 聪明 cōngming clever
- 灵活 línghuó adaptable

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 2022?

2022 is the Year of the Tiger, 虎 (hǔ), from Chinese New Year on 1 February 2022 to 21 January 2023. Its element is Water, so people born in it are Water Tigers.

### What if I was born in January or early February 2022?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 31 January 2022? You belong to 2021, the Year of the Metal Ox.

### What element is 2022 in the Chinese zodiac?

Water, 水 (shuǐ). 2022 is 壬寅 (rén yín) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Water year; the Water Tiger comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 2022 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 二〇二二年 (èr líng èr èr nián). “I was born in 2022” is 我是二〇二二年出生的 (wǒ shì èr líng èr èr nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Tiger” is 我属虎 (wǒ shǔ hǔ).