Born in 2020: the Rat
A Yang Metal Rat 🐀
Rats are sharp observers who spot an opportunity before anyone else and act on it. They are thrifty, sociable, and quick to solve a practical problem. As a Metal-element year, 2020 adds a determined, disciplined and self-reliant streak to the usual Rat character.
The 2020 lunar year ran from January 25, 2020 to 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.
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. Its Yin/Yang polarity is fixed as Yang for every Rat year. See the Metal element and the full Metal Rat profile.
2020 at a glance
| Animal | 🐀 Rat (鼠) |
|---|---|
| Element | Metal |
| Polarity | Yang |
| Best match | Ox |
| 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.
Your zodiac years
The Rat returns every 12 years, so someone born in 2020 is back in their own zodiac year in 2032, 2044, 2056, 2068 and so on. 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.
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 →
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac sign is 2020?
2020 is the year of the Rat (Metal Rat, Yang polarity). Anyone born on or after January 25, 2020 is a Rat; a birthday earlier in 2020 belongs to the previous sign, the Pig.
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.