子
Rat
Earthly Branch 1 of 12 · 子 zǐ
The Rat is the first animal of the Chinese zodiac and corresponds to the Earthly Branch 子 (zǐ). Its fixed element is Water.
| Earthly Branch | 子 (zǐ) |
|---|---|
| Fixed element | Water |
| Polarity | Yang |
| Double hour | 23:00–01:00 |
| Recent years | 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 |
When does the year start?
Popular reckoning changes animal at Chinese New Year (late January to mid-February). BaZi (Four Pillars) changes the year at Lìchūn 立春, the Start of Spring, around 4 February. People born between those dates can have different animals in the two systems.
Test yourself
Which Earthly Branch belongs to the Rat?
Learn it properly in the courseBuilt from the Astrolysis facts table chinese/animals/rat.