Quick wits and a sharp eye for chances
In Chinese astrology the Rat stands for cleverness, resourcefulness and a talent for spotting an opening before anyone else. Folk descriptions picture a charming, social person who reads a room quickly and adapts with ease.
The Rat is also linked with thrift and good planning, a sign said to keep something in reserve. The less flattering side named by tradition is restlessness, a habit of keeping secrets, and a tendency to scheme when the Rat feels cornered.
Its fixed element is Water, which suits a sign associated with flow, curiosity and quick thinking. The Rat hour runs from 11 pm to 1 am, the start of the Chinese day.
How the Rat came first in the great race
The best known legend tells of a race across a wide river called by the Jade Emperor, who promised a place in the calendar to the first twelve animals to finish. The Rat could not swim well, so it asked the strong Ox for a ride on its back.
As the Ox neared the far bank, the Rat leapt off and touched land first. That clever shortcut is why the Rat opens every 12-year cycle and the Ox comes second. In some versions the Rat also tricked the Cat out of the race, which tellers use to explain why cats and rats never get along.
The five element Rats
Wood Rat (for example, the year starting in 1984): described as warm, creative and fond of learning, with a wider circle of friends than most Rats.
Fire Rat (1996): the most energetic and outspoken Rat, quick to act, linked with enthusiasm and a strong sense of fairness.
Earth Rat (2008): tradition calls this Rat the steadiest of the five, practical and careful, more interested in security than in risk.
Metal Rat (2020): pictured as determined and sharp, with firm opinions and high standards for itself and others.
Water Rat (1972): Water doubled, since Water is also the Rat's fixed element, so this version is linked with intuition, diplomacy and a gift for words.
Rat compatibility in tradition
The Rat belongs to the first harmony group, or trine, with the Dragon and the Monkey. These three are traditionally seen as sharing drive and quick thinking, and they are said to understand each other easily.
The Rat's secret friend is the Ox, a pairing that echoes the race story. Its clash sign is the Horse, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac wheel; tradition reads that pair as having very different rhythms. You can compare any two animals with our Chinese zodiac compatibility tool.
Rat years and their exact dates
Rat years come every 12 years, but each one starts on a different date because Lunar New Year moves. The table on this page lists every Rat year with its exact first and last day, calculated by the site.
If your birthday is in January or early February, check it against that table or the Chinese zodiac calculator. A birth just before Lunar New Year belongs to the Pig, the last animal of the cycle, not to the Rat.