Born in 2008: the Rat

Earth Rat is the full name of the 2008 sign. Its traditional two-part year name is 戊子 (wùzǐ), which puts it at number 25 of 60, and 2008 is a yang year, the cycle's active, outgoing half. Expect the Rat's usual traits (quick-witted, resourceful, adaptable) with a grounded, practical and patient edge from the Earth element.

The 2008 lunar year ran from February 7, 2008 up to the day before Chinese New Year 2009 (January 26, 2009). If you were born on or after February 7, 2008 you are a Rat; if you were born earlier in 2008, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Pig. Someone born in 2008 turns 18 in 2026 (or 17 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 2008's Chinese New Year fell on a Thursday, and that lunar year ran 354 days — an ordinary 12-month lunar year.

What the Earth element adds

Earth is the element of the harvest, stability and realism. An Earth year makes an animal steadier and more dependable, focused on security and the long game, though it can also make it slower to change course.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so an Earth Rat year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2008 was 1948, and the next is 2068. People born in it are said to combine quick-witted and resourceful with the element's grounded nature. Every Rat year is yang (the active, outgoing type). See the Earth element and the full Earth Rat profile.

2008 at a glance

Animal	🐀 Rat (鼠)
Element	Earth
Yin or yang	yang
Traditional year name	戊子 (wùzǐ)
Place in the 60-year cycle	25 of 60
Zodiac year runs	February 7, 2008 to January 25, 2009
Age in 2026	17–18
Traditional best match	Ox
Traditional hardest match	Horse
Lucky numbers	2, 3
Lucky colors	blue, gold, green

Rat compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 2008 Rat gets on best with the Ox (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Dragon and Monkey. The hardest pairing is the Horse, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Rat compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 2008 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 2008 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to February 6, 2008	Pig (the 2007 year)
February 7, 2008 to December 31, 2008	Rat
January 1, 2009 to January 25, 2009	Rat (still the 2008 year)
January 26, 2009 onward	Ox (the 2009 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 2008 Rat

The next own-sign year for someone born in 2008 is 2032, around age 24, then 2044, around age 36. Tradition calls this your běnmìngnián. Despite being "your" year, it is thought to clash with Tài Suì (the God of Age) and to carry a higher chance of setbacks, so many people wear red through it for protection.

The element pair: 2008 and 2009

Earth years come in pairs. 2008 is the yang year and 2009 is the yin year, the Ox. So a 2008 Rat and a 2009 Ox share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Rat and Ox pairing as excellent: one of the six classic 'secret friend' pairings — a naturally supportive, stabilizing match. See the Rat and Ox pairing.

Other Rat years

1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2020 2032 2044

Full Rat personality profile →   Rat compatibility with every sign →

Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →

What an Earth year changes for the Rat

Talking. What marks a 2008 Rat in conversation is the Earth element: it gets steadier and more patient about it, in no hurry to make the point.

Work. Expect a 2008 Rat to work slower but with more staying power than most, because Earth steadies and grounds the sign's usual approach. The element affects execution more than the field.

Love. In 2008's Earth version, the Rat shows affection through consistency and follow-through, since earth is the element of the harvest, stability and realism.

For the sign as a whole (how the Rat communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Rat profile. This page covers what is different about 2008.

Known Rats

The Rat's quick-witted streak is often illustrated with names like King Charles III, Cameron Diaz, Eminem, Katy Perry — none of whom was born in the 2008 lunar year. They illustrate the animal's general reputation, not this exact element combination.