Why the Rat Came First in the Chinese Zodiac

A small animal with a big plan

In the folk tale of the Great Race, the Jade Emperor named the years after the animals in the order they crossed a river to reach him. The Rat had a problem: it could not swim well, and it was far smaller than its rivals. Instead of trying to win by strength, it looked for a way to win by thinking.

The ride on the Ox

The Rat noticed that the Ox was a strong, steady swimmer and a generous animal. In the most familiar telling, the Rat and the Cat asked the Ox to carry them, and the Ox agreed. As the Ox neared the far bank, the Rat pushed the Cat into the water, jumped from the Ox's head and landed in front of the Emperor. The Rat was named first; the Ox, who had done the hard work, was second.

Other tellers soften the story. In one version, the Rat offers to sing to the Ox to keep its spirits up during the long swim, then hops off at the end. The result is the same: the clever Rat finishes first.

The Rat and the Cat

Many versions explain the rivalry between rats and cats with this race. Sometimes the Rat pushes the Cat into the water; sometimes it promises to wake the Cat on race day and lets it oversleep. Either way, the Cat misses its chance and never gets a year of its own, which, storytellers say, is why cats still chase rats. Like the rest of the Great Race, this is a playful explanation, not history.

Other traditional reasons the Rat begins the cycle

Outside the legend, the Rat's first place follows the order of the twelve Earthly Branches, the ancient counting system the animals were paired with. The first branch, zi, is matched with the Rat, and it also marks the first two-hour period of the day, from 23:00 to 01:00, when one day turns into the next. The Rat therefore stands for beginnings: the start of the cycle and the start of the day.

There is also a folk belief that rats have a different number of toes on their front and back feet, which gave the Rat a link to "turning over" and new starts. Treat this as traditional lore rather than a rule of the calendar.

What the Rat's victory says about the Rat sign

The story shapes how people describe those born in the Year of the Rat. Our Year of the Rat guide describes the sign as quick-witted, resourceful and sociable: natural problem-solvers who notice opportunities others miss. The race is the perfect picture of that: the Rat saw the Ox as a solution, not an obstacle.

The tale also carries a warning. Winning by pushing a friend into the river is not admirable, and many tellers let listeners ask whether the Rat really deserved first place. In traditional readings the Rat's weak side is restlessness and caution about trust, a reminder that cleverness works best alongside fairness.

The Rat in Cambodia

In the Khmer cycle the Rat is called Choot, and its year begins at Khmer New Year in April. The same story of the clever Rat and the patient Ox is told across the region, usually with the same lesson about brains and generosity. See Khmer animal years for the dates.

Born in the Year of the Rat? Check your zodiac animal and element, then read the full Rat guide.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the Rat first in the Chinese zodiac?

In the Great Race folk tale, the Rat rode across the river on the Ox and jumped off to finish first. Historically, the Rat is paired with zi, the first of the twelve Earthly Branches.

Did the Rat cheat?

In many versions it tricked the Cat and used the Ox's help, so tellers often ask whether its win was fair. It is a story about cleverness and its limits.

What hours belong to the Rat?

The Rat's branch, zi, covers 23:00 to 01:00, the turn from one day to the next.

Sources and further reading

• Wikipedia: Chinese zodiac — the Great Race folk tale and its variants, and the link between the animals and the Earthly Branches.
• Wikipedia: Earthly Branches — the twelve branches, their two-hour periods and the theory linking them to Jupiter, the Year Star.
• The Royal Mint: The Story of the Animals Behind the Chinese Zodiac: the Rat and the Cat — a retelling of the Rat and Cat tale.
• USC Folklore Archives: The Zodiac Rat and Cats — a collected oral version of the Rat and Cat story.

The Great Race and the other tales here are folk tales, told in many versions; they are not historical events. Personality traits are traditional zodiac beliefs, shared for culture and entertainment.