---
title: "2042 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Water Dog (壬戌), 22 Jan 2042 to 9 Feb 2043 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "2042 is the Year of the Water Dog, 狗 gǒu: from Chinese New Year on 22 January 2042 to 9 February 2043, so a birthday before 22 January 2042 is a Rooster. What Water means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属狗."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2042"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 2042: Year of the Water Dog

2042 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 gǒu, a Water year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 22 January 2042 and runs to 9 February 2043. Born from 1 January to 21 January 2042? You are a [Rooster, 2041](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2041).

狗

gǒu

Water Dog

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

**Element**
水 shuǐ Water, yang

**Cycle name**
壬戌年 rén xū nián

**Starts**
22 January 2042

**Ends**
9 February 2043

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

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=2042-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 2042 in Chinese

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

- 二〇四二年 èr líng sì èr nián 2042
- 壬戌年 rén xū nián the 壬戌 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是二〇四二年出生的 wǒ shì èr líng sì èr nián chū shēng de I was born in 2042.
- 我属狗 wǒ shǔ gǒu I'm a Dog.
- 水狗 shuǐ gǒu Water Dog

## 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 Dog

- 忠诚 zhōngchéng loyal
- 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 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 2042?

2042 is the Year of the Dog, 狗 (gǒu), from Chinese New Year on 22 January 2042 to 9 February 2043. Its element is Water, so people born in it are Water Dogs.

### What if I was born in January or early February 2042?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 21 January 2042? You belong to 2041, the Year of the Metal Rooster.

### What element is 2042 in the Chinese zodiac?

Water, 水 (shuǐ). 2042 is 壬戌 (rén xū) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Water year; the Water Dog comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 2042 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 二〇四二年 (èr líng sì èr nián). “I was born in 2042” is 我是二〇四二年出生的 (wǒ shì èr líng sì èr nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Dog” is 我属狗 (wǒ shǔ gǒu).