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Chinese Zodiac 1972: Year of the Water Rat
February 15, 1972 – February 2, 1973 · Yang
Born January 1 – February 14, 1972? You are a Metal Pig 🐖, because the Rat year only began at Lunar New Year on February 15.
The 1972 sign
- Animal
- 🐀 Rat
- Element
- Water
- Yin / Yang
- Yang
- Lunar New Year
- Tuesday, Feb 15
- Generation
- Generation X
- Age in 2026
- 54
The Rat is said to be quick-witted, resourceful and charming.
Rat compatibility
Best matches (same trine)
Secret friend
Clashes with
Traditional Chinese astrology, for fun.
Other years of the Rat
Check another year
About the Chinese Zodiac
Chinese Zodiac tells you your animal sign and element from your birth year — and gets it right for January and February birthdays, which most charts miss. The Chinese zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, between January 21 and February 20, so someone born before it belongs to the previous year’s animal. Every year from 1924 to 2035 has a page with its exact start and end dates, its element and yin or yang, and every animal has a page listing its years and its best and worst matches.
How to use it
- 1 Enter your birth year, and the month and day if you were born in January or February.
- 2 See your animal, element and yin or yang.
- 3 Open your year to see when it started and ended.
- 4 Check the animals you match and clash with.
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 1972?
1972 is the year of the Water Rat (Yang). It began at Lunar New Year on February 15, 1972 and ended on February 2, 1973.
I was born in January 1972 — am I a Rat?
Only if you were born on or after February 15. Anyone born from January 1 to February 14, 1972 belongs to the previous year: the Metal Pig.
Which signs match the Rat?
Traditionally the Rat gets on best with the Dragon and the Monkey, which share its trine, and with its “secret friend”, the Ox. It clashes with the Horse.
What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in order?
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The cycle repeats every 12 years, and each year also has one of five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — giving a full cycle of 60 years.
What is the Chinese zodiac for 2026?
2026 is the year of the Fire Horse. It starts at Lunar New Year on February 17, 2026 and runs until February 5, 2027, when the year of the Fire Goat begins.
Why is my Chinese zodiac different from my birth year?
Because the Chinese zodiac year begins at Lunar New Year, not on January 1. If you were born in January or early February before that year’s Lunar New Year, your animal is the one for the year before. Enter your full birth date to check.
Where do the Lunar New Year dates come from?
They are worked out from the Chinese lunisolar calendar (the same calculation used by the Unicode ICU calendar library), which places Lunar New Year on the second new moon after the winter solstice in Chinese time.
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