---
title: "2026 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Horse (丙午), 17 Feb 2026 to 6 Feb 2027 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, 马 mǎ: from Chinese New Year on 17 February 2026 to 6 February 2027, so a birthday before 17 February 2026 is a Snake. What Fire means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属马."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2026"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 2026: Year of the Fire Horse

2026 is the Year of the Horse, 马 mǎ, a Fire year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 17 February 2026 and runs to 6 February 2027. Born from 1 January to 16 February 2026? You are a [Snake, 2025](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2025).

马

mǎ

Fire Horse

**Animal**
[马 mǎ Horse](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/horse)

**Element**
火 huǒ Fire, yang

**Cycle name**
丙午年 bǐng wǔ nián

**Starts**
17 February 2026

**Ends**
6 February 2027

**Matches**
Dog, Tiger and Goat; clashes with Rat

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=2026-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 2026 in Chinese

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

- 二〇二六年 èr líng èr liù nián 2026
- 丙午年 bǐng wǔ nián the 丙午 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是二〇二六年出生的 wǒ shì èr líng èr liù nián chū shēng de I was born in 2026.
- 我属马 wǒ shǔ mǎ I'm a Horse.
- 火马 huǒ mǎ Fire Horse

## What Fire means

火Fire is warmth and light at the height of summer. People born in a Fire year are said to be passionate and bold, the first to start and the last to give up.

**Season**
夏 xià summer

**Direction**
南 nán south

**Colour**
红 hóng red

### Words for a Fire Horse

- 活泼 huópō lively
- 热情 rèqíng warm-hearted
- 乐观 lèguān optimistic

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 Horse, 马

The Horse runs free. People born in a Horse year are said to be lively, warm and independent, quick on their feet and happiest on the move and in good company.

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

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 2026?

2026 is the Year of the Horse, 马 (mǎ), from Chinese New Year on 17 February 2026 to 6 February 2027. Its element is Fire, so people born in it are Fire Horses.

### What if I was born in January or early February 2026?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 16 February 2026? You belong to 2025, the Year of the Wood Snake.

### What element is 2026 in the Chinese zodiac?

Fire, 火 (huǒ). 2026 is 丙午 (bǐng wǔ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Fire year; the Fire Horse comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 2026 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 二〇二六年 (èr líng èr liù nián). “I was born in 2026” is 我是二〇二六年出生的 (wǒ shì èr líng èr liù nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Horse” is 我属马 (wǒ shǔ mǎ).