2020: the year of the Metal Rat (庚子)
In Korean saju, 2020 is the year of 庚子 (Gyeong-ja). The top character, 庚, is yang Metal, and the bottom character, 子, is the Rat. Together they make 2020 the year of the Metal Rat. The saju year starts at Ipchun on February 4, 2020 at 18:03 Korea time and runs until February 3, 2021.
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2020 at a glance
- Year pair
- 庚子 · Gyeong-ja
- Element
- Metal (yang)
- Animal
- Rat
- Old poetic name
- 壁上土 · Wall earth
- Saju year starts
- February 4, 2020 18:03
- Ends
- February 3, 2021
- Age in 2027
- turns 7
Born in January or early February 2020?
The saju year changes at Ipchun, February 4, 2020 at 18:03 Korea time. If you were born before that moment, your year pair is 己亥: you belong to 2019, the year of the Earth Pig.
Many zodiac sites switch the animal at Lunar New Year instead, which fell on January 25 in 2020. So for birthdays from January 25 until just before Ipchun, those sites already say Rat while saju still says Pig.
The two characters of 庚子
- Gyeong · uncut raw ore — tough, sturdy metal
- 子Ja · Rat · a cold spring in deep winter
The Metal element of 2020
The top character decides the year’s element, so 2020 is a Metal year. When Metal energy is strong, it tends to feel like this: You feel clear-headed, decisive, and ready to finish what you started.
- Color
- White
- Food
- Pears, radish, and white rice
- Direction
- West
- Activity
- Organizing your desk or taking deep breaths in fresh air
This is your birth-year element. In saju, your core element comes from your birth day instead (the day master), and it can be different. A free saju card shows yours.
Month pillars of the 2020 saju year
In saju, each month also has a pair, and it starts on a solar term, not on the 1st. These are the twelve months of 庚子 with their start dates (Korea date). Your birth month’s pair is one of your four pillars.
| Month pair | Starts |
|---|---|
| 戊寅Mu-in | February 4 |
| 己卯Gi-myo | March 5 |
| 庚辰Gyeong-jin | April 4 |
| 辛巳Sin-sa | May 5 |
| 壬午Im-o | June 5 |
| 癸未Gye-mi | July 7 |
| 甲申Gap-sin | August 7 |
| 乙酉Eul-yu | September 7 |
| 丙戌Byeong-sul | October 8 |
| 丁亥Jeong-hae | November 7 |
| 戊子Mu-ja | December 7 |
| 己丑Gi-chuk | January 5, 2021 |
The Rat in zodiac compatibility
By the branch tables, the Rat’s closest match is the Ox (six harmony). Its team of three adds the Monkey and Dragon. Its opposite sign, the Horse, is a clash pair, read as different rhythms rather than bad luck.
The Rat in 2027
Your Water controls Fire. The year reads like something to manage: money, tasks, results. Planning tends to beat grabbing.
Ties with 丁未: Harm (害) · Wonjin (怨嗔)
2027 outlook for the Rat →Other Rat years
The Rat comes back every 12 years, but the element on top changes each time:
- 1948戊子 · Earth Rat
- 1960庚子 · Metal Rat
- 1972壬子 · Water Rat
- 1984甲子 · Wood Rat
- 1996丙子 · Fire Rat
- 2008戊子 · Earth Rat
The exact pair 庚子 returns every 60 years: 1900, 1960 and 2080.
Read 庚子 as a day pillar →How to read this
Your birth year is one pillar out of four. Your birth month, day and hour usually say more about you than the year does. Use this page for facts and fun, then check the full chart.
Born in 2020? See your whole chart
Your year is one pillar. Add your birthday for a free saju card with all four, worked out on your device.
Questions about 2020
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2020?
2020 is the year of the Rat, and more exactly the Metal Rat (庚子). In saju the year runs from Ipchun on February 4, 2020 to February 3, 2021.
What element is 2020?
Metal. The top character 庚 is yang Metal, and that is the year’s element. The bottom character 子 adds Water.
I was born in January 2020. What is my sign?
Before Ipchun (February 4, 2020, 18:03 Korea time) you belong to the year before: 己亥, the Earth Pig of 2019. Check your exact time if you were born that day.
Is my birth-year element my saju element?
Not exactly. The year element describes your birth year. Saju reads your core self from your birth-day character (the day master), which needs your full birth date.