한국어

The Rat

Quick and resourceful. Everything the Rat carries in the Korean zodiac - birth years, ages in 2026, colors, and matches.

What the Rat is likeThe Rat opens the cycle. In the old race story it rode across the river on the Ox's back and jumped off first, which is exactly the kind of thinking the sign is known for.
  • Reads a room fast and rarely misses a detail
  • Careful with money, and always has something set aside
  • Easy to like, so people gather without being asked
  • Can turn a small worry over until it feels enormous
Was this page helpful?

What the Rat stands for

The traditional attributes of 子, the Ja branch - none of them change with the year.

ElementWater (水)
Hours23:00~01:00
DirectionDue north
Lunar monthMonth 11

The five colors of the Rat

Same animal, different color - the color depends on which turn of the 60-year cycle your year falls on.

Tap a year to see that year's ages and what happened in Korea 👇

Rat birth years and ages

Every Rat year with both Korean ages, as of 2026.

Birth yearYear nameKorean ageInternational age
2020 White Rat (Gyeong-ja)75 or 6
2008 Golden Rat (Mu-ja)1917 or 18
1996 Red Rat (Byeong-ja)3129 or 30
1984 Blue Rat (Gap-ja)4341 or 42
1972 Black Rat (Im-ja)5553 or 54
1960 White Rat (Gyeong-ja)6765 or 66
1948 Golden Rat (Mu-ja)7977 or 78
1936 Red Rat (Byeong-ja)9189 or 90
1924 Blue Rat (Gap-ja)103101 or 102
1912 Black Rat (Im-ja)115113 or 114
1900 White Rat (Gyeong-ja)127125 or 126

Tap a birth year for that year's full breakdown - three Korean ages, the five element, and what was happening in Korea.

How common is the Rat?

The twelve animals ranked by how many people living in Korea were born under each.

The Rat ranks #2 of the twelve.

  1. 1 Pigabout 4.5M
  2. 2 Ratabout 4.4M
  3. 3 Oxabout 4.3M
  4. 4 Dogabout 4.3M
  5. 5 Monkeyabout 4.3M
  6. 6 Dragonabout 4.3M
  7. 7 Roosterabout 4.3M
  8. 8 Goatabout 4.3M
  9. 9 Tigerabout 4.2M
  10. 10 Snakeabout 4.2M
  11. 11 Rabbitabout 4.1M
  12. 12 Horseabout 4.0M

Source: Statistics Korea resident population, grouped by birth year (approximate - the ipchun cutoff isn't applied).

Who the Rat matches

The pairings the twelve branches traditionally read as the easiest and the hardest.

💕 Best matches
DragonThree HarmoniesMonkeyThree HarmoniesOxSix Harmonies
⚡ Handle with care
HorseClashGoatFriction
  • Three Harmonies - One of four three-animal groups traditionally read as the strongest fit of all. This is where the Korean saying about a four-year age gap comes from.
  • Six Harmonies - Each animal has exactly one partner in this pairing, and the two are said to be easy company from the first day.
  • Clash - Sits directly opposite on the wheel - always a six-year gap. Opposite enough to argue, and opposite enough to learn from.
  • Friction - The odd one: nobody does anything wrong, and the two still end up quietly annoyed with each other.

Famous Rats 🐭

JennieSingerJanuary 16, 1996 · 30 years old❤️ Red RatKim Ki-dukActorDecember 20, 1960 · 65 years old🤍 White RatLee Jung-jaeActorDecember 15, 1972 · 53 years old🖤 Black RatMomoSingerNovember 9, 1996 · 29 years old❤️ Red RatSandara ParkSingerNovember 12, 1984 · 41 years old💙 Blue RatPark BomSingerMarch 24, 1984 · 42 years old💙 Blue RatKoo Hye-sunActorNovember 9, 1984 · 41 years old💙 Blue RatYoo Jeong-yeonSingerNovember 1, 1996 · 29 years old❤️ Red Rat
Which stars share your Rat year?Everyone born under the Rat

The other eleven animals

Tap an animal to read its years, colors, and personality.

Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog PigAge by birth year →

Community 💬

Was this page helpful?

Frequently asked questions ❓

The Rat comes around every twelve years. 2020, 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960 are all Rat years, and the next ones are 2032, 2044, 2056. One catch: the animal turns over at ipchun, around February 4, so a birthday before that counts as the previous year's animal.
The most recent Rat year is 2020, and someone born then is 5 or 6 in 2026, or 7 in Korean age. The table above gives every other Rat birth year.
The animal repeats every 12 years, but the full year name pairs it with one of ten heavenly stems, so the whole cycle runs 60 years. That's why someone born in 2008 is a Golden Rat while someone born twelve years later in 2020 is a White Rat - the color moves on each time, and an exact year name only comes back after 60 years.
The twelve animals and the 60-year cycle are shared across East Asia, so the years line up exactly. What's different is emphasis: Koreans lean much harder on the five colors, so you'll hear about a Golden Pig or a Blue Dragon year long before anyone mentions the stem itself.

Sources 🌐