{"id":15934,"date":"2026-09-02T06:28:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T06:28:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/?p=15934"},"modified":"2026-09-02T06:28:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T06:28:57","slug":"%e9%87%91%e5%b1%9e%e3%81%ae%e3%83%8d%e3%82%ba%e3%83%9f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ja\/metal-rat\/","title":{"rendered":"\u91d1\u306e\u9f20\u306e\u5e72\u652f\uff1a\u8a72\u5f53\u5e74\u3001\u65e5\u4ed8\u3001\u7279\u5fb4\u3068\u610f\u5473"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"15934\" class=\"elementor elementor-15934\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4825cff e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4825cff\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d41754 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1d41754\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Quick Answer: What Is a Metal Rat?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">A Metal Rat is the Geng-Zi (\u5e9a\u5b50) year type in the Chinese sexagenary cycle. \u201cMetal\u201d comes from Geng, the Yang Metal Heavenly Stem, while \u201cRat\u201d comes from Zi, the Yang Water Earthly Branch associated with the Rat.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Metal Rat years:<\/strong> 1900, 1960, 2020, and 2080, repeating every 60 years. Zodiac boundaries follow Lunar New Year rather than January 1.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Three classification layers:<\/strong> Geng supplies Yang Metal, Zi supplies the Rat and Yang Water, and the complete Geng-Zi pair has the separate Na Yin image Wall Earth.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cultural meaning only:<\/strong> These labels belong to traditional calendar and folk interpretation. They do not scientifically determine personality, talent, wealth, health, relationships, or life outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c546aa5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c546aa5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">English-language pages often turn the Metal Rat into a golden animal, a symbol of financial talent, or a shorthand for the year 2020. Those ideas blur a calendar category with modern imagery and fortune claims. This guide instead separates the Heavenly Stem, Earthly Branch, and Na Yin layers; gives the exact Lunar New Year date boundaries; and frames personality and compatibility only as traditional folk interpretation.<\/p><h2>Metal Rat Years and Exact Date Ranges<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">In the public zodiac convention used here, years change at Lunar New Year, not on January 1. The official Hong Kong Observatory conversion tables cover 1901\u20132100; the 1900 start date is cross-checked against a historical Lunar New Year date list. Together, they place the four Metal Rat cycles at the ranges below.<sup>[1][2]<\/sup><\/p><div style=\"overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; max-height: 800px;\"><table><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <\/colgroup><thead><tr><th>Geng-Zi cycle<\/th><th>Metal Rat date range<\/th><th>Births earlier in the named Gregorian year<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1900<\/td><td>January 31, 1900\u2013February 18, 1901<\/td><td>January 1\u201330, 1900: Earth Pig<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1960<\/td><td>January 28, 1960\u2013February 14, 1961<\/td><td>January 1\u201327, 1960: Earth Pig<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2020<\/td><td>January 25, 2020\u2013February 11, 2021<\/td><td>January 1\u201324, 2020: Earth Pig<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2080<\/td><td>January 22, 2080\u2013February 8, 2081<\/td><td>January 1\u201321, 2080: Earth Goat<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p class=\"p1\">The 2080 boundary has a detail worth noticing: births before Lunar New Year belong to the preceding Ji-Wei Earth Goat year, whereas the early-year cutoffs in 1900, 1960, and 2020 fall in Ji-Hai Earth Pig years. If a birth date is close to Lunar New Year, use the site\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/what-is-my-chinese-zodiac\/\">Chinese zodiac date-and-element tool<\/a> rather than relying on the Gregorian year alone.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Some Four Pillars schools use Start of Spring as a technical year boundary. That is a separate convention for specialist calculations. This article consistently uses Lunar New Year, the ordinary public standard for identifying a zodiac animal.<\/p><h2>Why the Metal Rat Is Geng-Zi<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">The 10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches pair in sequence to form a 60-unit cycle. Geng-Zi is the 37th pairing in that cycle.<sup>[3]<\/sup> The element name, animal identity, and Na Yin image answer different questions, so Metal, Water, and Earth can appear together without contradiction. For a wider explanation of the system, see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/heavenly-stems-earthly-branches\/\">Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches guide<\/a>.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; max-height: 800px;\"><table><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <\/colgroup><thead><tr><th>Classification layer<\/th><th>Geng-Zi component<\/th><th>Traditional role<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Heavenly Stem<\/td><td>Geng (\u5e9a), Yang Metal<\/td><td>Supplies the \u201cMetal\u201d in Metal Rat<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Earthly Branch<\/td><td>Zi (\u5b50), Yang Water and Rat<\/td><td>Supplies the animal identity and branch element<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Na Yin<\/td><td>Wall Earth (\u58c1\u4e0a\u571f)<\/td><td>Adds a separate image for the paired Geng-Zi unit<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p class=\"p1\">Traditional Wuxing thought treats Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water as changing, interdependent phases rather than fixed chemical substances. Its generating sequence includes Metal generating Water.<sup>[4]<\/sup> In Geng-Zi, that relation describes how the stem and branch are conventionally connected. It does not prove that a person is \u201cbalanced,\u201d unusually talented, fortunate, or financially advantaged.<\/p><h3>Geng: the Yang Metal Heavenly Stem<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Geng (G\u0113ng) is the seventh Heavenly Stem and is classified as Yang Metal. Traditional imagery links it with firm structure, order, standards, decisiveness, and clear boundaries. In folk personality language, that can suggest a preference for plans, direct conclusions, and consistent rules.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The word Metal here belongs to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wuxing\/\">Wuxing, the Chinese Five Phases system<\/a>. It does not mean literal gold, a golden-colored Rat, or an inborn ability to manage money. Turning Geng Metal into a claim about investment skill or future wealth is a modern extrapolation, not a conclusion supported by the year label.<\/p><h3>Zi: the Rat Earthly Branch<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Zi (Z\u01d0) is the first Earthly Branch. It corresponds to the Rat and is conventionally classified as Yang Water; the stem\u2013branch mappings and the Zi\u2013Rat association are standard parts of the traditional system.<sup>[6]<\/sup> Folk imagery for Zi Water emphasizes movement, observation, responsiveness, and the ability to adjust to changing conditions.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Zi supplies the animal identity in Metal Rat. The Rat is therefore not inherently Metal: Geng supplies that year element. Nor does Zi\u2019s Water element turn a Geng-Zi year into a Water Rat. A Water Rat is a different stem\u2013branch pairing, Ren-Zi.<\/p><h3>Wall Earth: the Separate Na Yin Layer<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Geng-Zi and Xin-Chou share the Na Yin name Wall Earth (\u58c1\u4e0a\u571f). In the classical passage, wall earth is described through walls that rely on beams, establish rooms and doors, and shelter people from heat, cold, frost, and snow.<sup>[5]<\/sup> Read as cultural imagery, it suggests boundaries, protection, reliance, separation, responsibility, and stable structure.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Na Yin is a separate classification attached to the complete stem\u2013branch pair. It does not replace the Geng stem or the Zi branch, and it does not make a Metal Rat an Earth Rat. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/nayin-five-elements\/\">Na Yin Five Elements guide<\/a> explains how all 60 stem\u2013branch combinations map to 30 paired images. Classical passages also contain fate, status, and auspiciousness claims; those are not used here as facts about a person\u2019s life.<\/p><h2>Metal Rat Personality in Traditional Interpretation<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">The following descriptions are traditional folk interpretations assembled from the symbolic language of Geng Metal, Zi Water, and Wall Earth. They are not findings from modern psychology, scientific population studies, or diagnostic tools. Individuals born in the same year can differ greatly because personality develops through family, society, education, experience, and personal choices.<\/p><h3>Traditional Strengths Associated with the Metal Rat<\/h3><div style=\"overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; max-height: 800px;\"><table><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <\/colgroup><thead><tr><th>Traditional tendency<\/th><th>Constructive expression<\/th><th>Symbolic source<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Alert observation<\/td><td>Notices details and changing conditions; responds with care<\/td><td>Zi Water\u2019s movement and perception<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Structured thinking<\/td><td>Uses plans, standards, and clear priorities<\/td><td>Geng Metal\u2019s order and boundaries<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Practical adaptability<\/td><td>Keeps a principle while adjusting the method<\/td><td>Combined Geng and Zi imagery<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Protective self-command<\/td><td>Maintains limits and avoids needless display<\/td><td>Wall Earth\u2019s shelter and structure<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p class=\"p1\">These are tendencies in a cultural reading, not promises of superior intelligence, flawless judgment, leadership, or success. The same symbols can be expressed differently in different people and settings.<\/p><h3>Traditional Challenges and Balancing Qualities<\/h3><ul><li><strong>Over-alertness:<\/strong> Close observation may become overthinking or reading too much into small signals. A balancing practice is to separate verified facts from assumptions.<\/li><li><strong>Rigidity:<\/strong> Strong standards may become stubbornness or rejection of useful feedback. Flexibility can preserve the principle while changing the route.<\/li><li><strong>Impatience:<\/strong> Decisive action may become haste. Allowing more time for complex choices can reduce avoidable errors.<\/li><li><strong>Heavy defenses:<\/strong> Clear boundaries may become distance or excessive control. Selective openness and direct communication can make boundaries easier for others to understand.<\/li><\/ul><p class=\"p1\">These suggestions are ordinary reflections on behavior, not remedies for a fixed birth-year defect.<\/p><h2>How the Metal Rat Differs from Other Rat Types<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">All five Rat types share Zi as their Earthly Branch. Their main element labels differ because a different Yang Heavenly Stem pairs with Zi in each cycle. None is traditionally proven to be smarter, wealthier, luckier, or more capable than another.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; max-height: 800px;\"><table><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 25%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 25%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 25%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 25%;\" \/> <\/colgroup><thead><tr><th>Rat type<\/th><th>Stem\u2013branch pair<\/th><th>Representative years<\/th><th>Traditional emphasis<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wood-rat\/\">Wood Rat<\/a><\/td><td>Jia-Zi<\/td><td>1924, 1984, 2044<\/td><td>Growth, openness, initiative, flexibility<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/fire-rat\/\">Fire Rat<\/a><\/td><td>Bing-Zi<\/td><td>1936, 1996, 2056<\/td><td>Warmth, visibility, speed, outward action<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/earth-rat\/\">Earth Rat<\/a><\/td><td>Wu-Zi<\/td><td>1948, 2008, 2068<\/td><td>Grounding, steadiness, duty, practical focus<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Metal Rat<\/td><td>Geng-Zi<\/td><td>1900, 1960, 2020, 2080<\/td><td>Structure, decisiveness, observation, adaptability<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/water-rat\/\">Water Rat<\/a><\/td><td>Ren-Zi<\/td><td>1912, 1972, 2032<\/td><td>Flow, responsiveness, breadth, social sensitivity<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p class=\"p1\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/year-of-the-rat\/\">Year of the Rat guide<\/a> covers the shared Zi-Rat background; the element pages explain what changes with each Heavenly Stem.<\/p><h2>Metal Rat Compatibility in Traditional Zodiac<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">Compatibility categories come from relationships among Earthly Branches. For a Metal Rat, the relevant branch is Zi, so Geng Metal and Wall Earth do not change the base pattern. The same pattern applies to every Rat element type. Traditional tables list Zi-Chou as a Six Harmony pair, Shen-Zi-Chen as a Three Harmony group, Zi-Wu as a clash, Zi-Wei as a harm, and Zi-Mao as a punishment relationship.<sup>[6]<\/sup><\/p><div style=\"overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; max-height: 800px;\"><table><colgroup> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <col style=\"width: 33%;\" \/> <\/colgroup><thead><tr><th>Traditional branch relation<\/th><th>Zodiac signs<\/th><th>Neutral cultural reading<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Six Harmony<\/td><td>Ox<\/td><td>Different styles may be interpreted as complementary<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Three Harmony<\/td><td>Monkey and Dragon<\/td><td>Traditionally associated with easier coordination<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Clash<\/td><td>Horse<\/td><td>Contrasting pace or priorities may require negotiation<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Harm<\/td><td>Goat or Sheep<\/td><td>Folk readings warn of subtle misunderstandings<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Punishment<\/td><td>Rabbit<\/td><td>A traditional term for tension, not literal harm<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p class=\"p1\">These labels do not identify a best spouse or predict a relationship outcome. Real compatibility depends on values, communication, circumstances, and behavior. See the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/chinese-zodiac-compatibility-guide\/\">Chinese zodiac compatibility guide<\/a> for the complete branch framework and its cultural limits.<\/p><h2>What the Metal Rat Label Does\u2014and Does Not Mean<\/h2><ul><li><strong>It is a Geng-Zi calendar category, not a gold-colored animal.<\/strong> Artistic color choices do not define the stem\u2013branch classification.<\/li><li><strong>Metal Rat and Golden Rat usually name the same type.<\/strong> Golden Rat is a common informal English rendering, not a sixth Rat category.<\/li><li><strong>Wall Earth does not turn it into an Earth Rat.<\/strong> Na Yin and the year-element label come from separate layers.<\/li><li><strong>Metal generating Water is not a fortune score.<\/strong> The Wuxing relationship does not demonstrate perfect balance, superior destiny, or better luck.<\/li><li><strong>The label does not prove financial talent.<\/strong> Claims that Metal Rats are born investors or wealth builders are unsupported extensions of the word Metal.<\/li><li><strong>A Gregorian birth year is not enough near Lunar New Year.<\/strong> Early 1960 and early 2020 births, for example, still fall in the preceding Earth Pig year.<\/li><\/ul><p class=\"p1\">This page therefore does not provide annual forecasts, investment advice, health predictions, marriage outcomes, lucky colors, numbers, directions, Feng Shui objects, or favorable-element calculations.<\/p><h2>FAQs About the Metal Rat<\/h2><h3>Was Everyone Born in 1960 or 2020 a Metal Rat?<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">No. Under the Lunar New Year standard, January 1\u201327, 1960 and January 1\u201324, 2020 still belong to the preceding Ji-Hai Earth Pig year. The Metal Rat periods begin on January 28, 1960 and January 25, 2020 respectively.<\/p><h3>Why Does the Metal Rat Have an Earth Na Yin?<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">The labels come from different systems. Geng supplies Yang Metal, Zi supplies the Rat and Yang Water, and the complete Geng-Zi pair receives the separate Na Yin image Wall Earth. The Earth image does not replace the main Metal Rat classification.<\/p><h3>Is 2080 a Metal Rat Year?<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Yes. The public zodiac date range is January 22, 2080 through February 8, 2081. People born January 1\u201321, 2080 belong to the preceding Ji-Wei Earth Goat year, not the Metal Rat year.<\/p><h3>Are Metal Rat and Golden Rat the Same Zodiac Type?<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Usually, yes. Both refer to Geng-Zi. Metal Rat is the clearer standard term because Geng belongs to the Metal phase; Golden Rat can wrongly suggest literal gold, wealth, or a fixed visual color.<\/p><h3>Which Zodiac Signs Are Traditionally Compatible with the Metal Rat?<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Traditional branch relationships pair Rat with Ox in Six Harmony and with Monkey and Dragon in the Three Harmony group. These are folk-cultural categories only and cannot determine the quality or future of a real relationship.<\/p><h2>Sources<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">[1] Hong Kong Observatory. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hko.gov.hk\/en\/gts\/time\/conversion.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table<\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\">[2] Pinyin.info. <a href=\"https:\/\/pinyin.info\/chinese_new_year\/cny1900-1999.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dates of Chinese New Year, 1900\u20131999<\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\">[3] Hong Kong Observatory. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hko.gov.hk\/en\/gts\/time\/stemsandbranches.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches<\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\">[4] Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. <a href=\"https:\/\/iep.utm.edu\/wuxing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wuxing (Wu-hsing)<\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\">[5] Wan Minying. <a href=\"https:\/\/zh.wikisource.org\/wiki\/%E4%B8%89%E5%91%BD%E9%80%9A%E6%9C%83\/%E5%8D%B7%E4%B8%80\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Ming Tong Hui, Volume 1: Geng-Zi and Xin-Chou Wall Earth<\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\">[6] Feng Chia University Library. <a href=\"https:\/\/blogcastle.lib.fcu.edu.tw\/archives\/1431\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yin-Yang, Five Phases, Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u91d1\u306e\u9f20\u306b\u5f53\u305f\u308b\u6b63\u78ba\u306a\u5e74\u3068\u671f\u9593\u3001\u5e9a\u5b50\u3068\u58c1\u4e0a\u571f\u306e\u9055\u3044\u3001\u4f1d\u7d71\u7684\u306a\u6027\u683c\u3084\u76f8\u6027\u306e\u89e3\u91c8\u304c\u5b9f\u969b\u306b\u4f55\u3092\u610f\u5473\u3059\u308b\u306e\u304b\u3092\u89e3\u8aac\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[179],"tags":[182,169,123,414,115],"class_list":["post-15934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-zodiac-year","tag-metal","tag-rat","tag-wuxing","tag-wuxing-zodiac","tag-zodiac"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 5.0.4 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the exact Metal Rat years and date ranges, how Geng-Zi and Wall Earth differ, and what traditional traits and compatibility claims really mean.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anthony\"\/>\n\t<meta name=\"msvalidate.01\" content=\"97c77332fb2942ab930264b0468265cc\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"p:domain_verify\" content=\"1c6a28833e9c8656008010959f745f27\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"yandex-verification\" content=\"b6ec2bfdfcce48fc\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"baidu-site-verification\" content=\"codeva-emu32jUwHI\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ja\/metal-rat\/\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO Pro (AIOSEO) 5.0.4\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ja_JP\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The China Journey -\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Metal Rat Chinese Zodiac: Years, Dates, Traits &amp; 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