Born in 2020: the Rat
A Yang Metal Rat 🐀
2020 is a yang year, a Metal Rat. In the traditional calendar it carries the two-part name 庚子 (gēngzǐ), year 37 of the 60-year cycle. The Metal element adds a determined, disciplined and self-reliant streak to the Rat's base character (quick-witted, resourceful, adaptable), and this is the active, outgoing half of the cycle.
The 2020 lunar year ran from January 25, 2020 up to the day before Chinese New Year 2021 (February 12, 2021). If you were born on or after January 25, 2020 you are a Rat; if you were born earlier in 2020, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Pig. Someone born in 2020 turns 6 in 2026 (or 5 until their birthday for the year).
Calendar note: 2020's Chinese New Year fell on a Saturday, and that lunar year ran 384 days — a long, 13-month year with an inserted leap month.
What the Metal element adds
Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve. A Metal year sharpens focus and independence: a Metal animal knows what it wants and pursues it directly, sometimes at the cost of flexibility.
The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Metal Rat year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2020 was 1960, and the next is 2080. People born in it are said to combine quick-witted and resourceful with the element's determined nature. Every Rat year is yang (the active, outgoing type). See the Metal element and the full Metal Rat profile.
2020 at a glance
| Animal | 🐀 Rat (鼠) |
|---|---|
| Element | Metal |
| Yin or yang | yang |
| Traditional year name | 庚子 (gēngzǐ) |
| Place in the 60-year cycle | 37 of 60 |
| Zodiac year runs | January 25, 2020 to February 11, 2021 |
| Age in 2026 | 5–6 |
| Traditional best match | Ox |
| Traditional hardest match | Horse |
| Lucky numbers | 2, 3 |
| Lucky colors | blue, gold, green |
Rat compatibility
In the traditional chart, a 2020 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 2020 lands
The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 2020 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.
| Birthday | Zodiac animal |
|---|---|
| January 1 to January 24, 2020 | Pig (the 2019 year) |
| January 25, 2020 to December 31, 2020 | Rat |
| January 1, 2021 to February 11, 2021 | Rat (still the 2020 year) |
| February 12, 2021 onward | Ox (the 2021 year) |
Zodiac years ahead for a 2020 Rat
The next own-sign year for someone born in 2020 is 2032, around age 12, then 2044, around age 24. 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: 2020 and 2021
Metal years come in pairs. 2020 is the yang year and 2021 is the yin year, the Ox. So a 2020 Rat and a 2021 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 2008 2032 2044
Full Rat personality profile → Rat compatibility with every sign →
Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →
What a Metal year changes for the Rat
Talking. In conversation, a Metal Rat gets more guarded about it, saying less than it's actually thinking, which is the main way 2020's version differs from the same animal born under another element.
Work. Metal sharpens and hardens the Rat's usual working style, so a 2020 Rat tends to run things with a sharper, less negotiable edge than most. The kind of work the sign suits stays the same; the element changes how the job gets done.
Love. Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve, so in a relationship a Metal Rat shows affection through direct, no-nonsense gestures.
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 2020.
Known Rats
Well-known Rats — sharing the animal though not this exact 2020 birth year or Metal element — include King Charles III, Cameron Diaz, Eminem, Katy Perry. None of the people listed here were born in the 2020 lunar year, but they're commonly cited as examples of the Rat's quick-witted streak.
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac sign is 2020?
2020 is the year of the Rat (Metal Rat, a yang year). Anyone born on or after January 25, 2020 is a Rat; a birthday earlier in 2020 belongs to the previous sign, the Pig.
Which birth dates count as a 2020 Rat?
Birthdays from January 25, 2020 to February 11, 2021 count as a Rat (Metal Rat). A birthday in January or early February 2020 before January 25, 2020 belongs to the Pig, and one on or after February 12, 2021 belongs to the Ox.
What element is the 2020 zodiac year?
2020 is a Metal-element year. Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve. A Metal year sharpens focus and independence: a Metal animal knows what it wants and pursues it directly, sometimes at the cost of flexibility.
Who is a 2020 Rat most compatible with?
Best matches are the Ox (the "secret friend"), plus the Dragon and Monkey. The hardest match is the Horse.
Is 2020 a lucky year to be born in?
Chinese tradition does not rank whole years as lucky or unlucky to be born in — every animal has strengths and weaknesses. The one combination widely treated with caution is the Fire Horse, and 2020 is not a Fire Horse year.