---
title: "2038 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Horse (戊午), 4 Feb 2038 to 23 Jan 2039 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "2038 is the Year of the Earth Horse, 马 mǎ: from Chinese New Year on 4 February 2038 to 23 January 2039, so a birthday before 4 February 2038 is a Snake. What Earth means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属马."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2038"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 2038: Year of the Earth Horse

2038 is the Year of the Horse, 马 mǎ, an Earth year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 4 February 2038 and runs to 23 January 2039. Born from 1 January to 3 February 2038? You are a [Snake, 2037](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2037).

马

mǎ

Earth Horse

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

**Element**
土 tǔ Earth, yang

**Cycle name**
戊午年 wù wǔ nián

**Starts**
4 February 2038

**Ends**
23 January 2039

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

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=2038-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 2038 in Chinese

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

- 二〇三八年 èr líng sān bā nián 2038
- 戊午年 wù wǔ nián the 戊午 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是二〇三八年出生的 wǒ shì èr líng sān bā nián chū shēng de I was born in 2038.
- 我属马 wǒ shǔ mǎ I'm a Horse.
- 土马 tǔ mǎ Earth Horse

## 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 Horse

- 活泼 huópō lively
- 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 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 2038?

2038 is the Year of the Horse, 马 (mǎ), from Chinese New Year on 4 February 2038 to 23 January 2039. Its element is Earth, so people born in it are Earth Horses.

### What if I was born in January or early February 2038?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 3 February 2038? You belong to 2037, the Year of the Fire Snake.

### What element is 2038 in the Chinese zodiac?

Earth, 土 (tǔ). 2038 is 戊午 (wù wǔ) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Earth year; the Earth Horse comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 2038 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 二〇三八年 (èr líng sān bā nián). “I was born in 2038” is 我是二〇三八年出生的 (wǒ shì èr líng sān bā nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Horse” is 我属马 (wǒ shǔ mǎ).