Born in 2044: the Rat

Anyone born in 2044 is a Wood Rat. The year's traditional two-part name is 甲子 (jiǎzǐ), number 1 in the 60-year cycle, and it is a yang year, the active, outgoing half of the cycle. The base Rat traits (quick-witted, resourceful, adaptable) come filtered through a cooperative, growth-minded and quietly generous Wood tone.

The 2044 lunar year runs from January 30, 2044. Anyone born on or after January 30, 2044 will be a Rat; a baby born earlier in 2044 belongs to the previous year's sign, the Pig.

Calendar note: 2044's Chinese New Year falls on a Saturday.

What the Wood element adds

Wood is the element of spring, growth and cooperation. A Wood year tends to soften an animal's sharper edges and push it toward teamwork, patience and building things that last rather than chasing quick wins.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Wood Rat year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2044 was 1984, and the next is 2104. People born in it are said to combine quick-witted and resourceful with the element's cooperative nature. Every Rat year is yang (the active, outgoing type). See the Wood element and the full Wood Rat profile.

2044 at a glance

Animal	🐀 Rat (鼠)
Element	Wood
Yin or yang	yang
Traditional year name	甲子 (jiǎzǐ)
Place in the 60-year cycle	1 of 60
Traditional best match	Ox
Traditional hardest match	Horse
Lucky numbers	2, 3
Lucky colors	blue, gold, green

Rat compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 2044 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 2044 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 2044 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to January 29, 2044	Pig (the 2043 year)
January 30, 2044 to December 31, 2044	Rat

Zodiac years ahead for a 2044 Rat

Someone born in 2044 reaches their first own-sign year at 12, in 2056, and again in 2068. 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: 2044 and 2045

Wood years come in pairs. 2044 is the yang year and 2045 is the yin year, the Ox. So a 2044 Rat and a 2045 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 2020 2032

Full Rat personality profile →   Rat compatibility with every sign →

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

What a Wood year changes for the Rat

Talking. The Wood element shows up in how a 2044 Rat speaks: it leans further into action, saying yes before thinking it all the way through. Another element on the same animal would sound different.

Work. In 2044 the Wood element softens and adds patience to the Rat's habits at work, so this version runs things with more willingness to cooperate than most. It changes the style, not the choice of career.

Love. A 2044 Rat shows affection through steady cooperation over time. That follows from the element: wood is the element of spring, growth and cooperation.

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 2044.

Known Rats

King Charles III, Cameron Diaz, Eminem, Katy Perry are among the names most often cited as Rats, though none of them was born in the 2044 lunar year. They're referenced here as examples of the animal's quick-witted streak generally, not proof of what a Wood Rat specifically looks like.