Chinese zodiac sign 9 of 12
Year of the Monkey: personality, love and years
Brilliant and inventive, it solves problems before others even notice them. Years of the Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, and 2028.
Monkey
- Yang
- Fixed element: Metal
- In Chinese
- 猴 (hóu)
- Hour of the Monkey
- 3–5 p.m.
The next Monkey year, the Year of the Earth Monkey, begins on January 26, 2028.
Years of the Monkey with elements and dates
A Year of the Monkey begins on Chinese New Year, not on January 1. If your birthday is in January or February, check your date against the table or enter it in the calculator.
| Year | Sign | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Water Monkey | 02/06/1932 – 01/25/1933 |
| 1944 | Wood Monkey | 01/25/1944 – 02/12/1945 |
| 1956 | Fire Monkey | 02/12/1956 – 01/30/1957 |
| 1968 | Earth Monkey | 01/30/1968 – 02/16/1969 |
| 1980 | Metal Monkey | 02/16/1980 – 02/04/1981 |
| 1992 | Water Monkey | 02/04/1992 – 01/22/1993 |
| 2004 | Wood Monkey | 01/22/2004 – 02/08/2005 |
| 2016 | Fire Monkey | 02/08/2016 – 01/27/2017 |
| 2028 | Earth Monkey | 01/26/2028 – 02/12/2029 |
Monkey personality
The Monkey is the sign of quick-witted, energetic people. It thinks fast, connects facts in unexpected ways and has an idea for getting out of any situation. It is sociable, funny and likes being the center of attention. It adapts easily to new circumstances and handles change well.
The Monkey knows it is clever and sometimes uses it. It can be mischievous, contrary and impatient with slower thinkers, and it quickly loses interest in what it already knows. Beneath the easygoing surface, though, there is sensitivity and a need for recognition it rarely admits.
Strengths
- Intelligence and cleverness
- A sense of humor
- Versatility
- Adaptability
Weaknesses
- Impatience
- Contrariness
- Cutting corners
The Monkey in love
In love the Monkey is fun, charming and full of ideas. It falls in love quickly and gets bored just as quickly if the relationship turns into routine. It needs a partner who can keep up with it intellectually and appreciates its sense of humor. When it finds someone like that, it can be loyal and very caring.
The Monkey at work and with money
At work the Monkey shines where intelligence, creativity and quick reactions count: tech, science, marketing, media, sales, finance or entertainment. It loves solving problems and learning new things. Repetitive work and rigid hierarchies wear it out. It does best with freedom and a variety of tasks.
The Monkey in the five elements
The same sign looks a little different in each element. Your element comes from your birth year, and the years next to each description link to their own pages.
The Wood Monkey combines cleverness with persistence. Wood gives it patience and curiosity about the world, so it plans well and finishes things more often than other Monkeys. It loves to learn and is glad to share what it knows. It can be restless, though, and a new idea tempts it more than finishing an old one.
The Fire Monkey loves to win. Fire gives it confidence, charisma and ambition, so it enjoys competition and feels great in the spotlight. It has tons of ideas and plenty of drive. When it wants something badly, it can bend the rules and play on other people's emotions.
The Earth Monkey is the calmest and most responsible of its family. Earth channels its cleverness toward practical goals: instead of mischief, there is solid work and care for its loved ones. It is generous and loyal. But it demands a lot of itself and others, and takes criticism worse than it shows.
Metal Monkey
1980Metal is the Monkey's fixed element, and the Metal Monkey has its talents in their purest form. It is highly intelligent, independent and ambitious, and it handles money with ease, along with problems others shy away from. It knows its worth. That can make it proud and stubborn, and slow to admit a mistake.
The Water Monkey persuades without confrontation. Water gives it a feel for people and for diplomacy, so it gets its way with patience and charm rather than by pushing. It is sharp, funny and understands others well. It keeps its plans to itself, though, and reacts to criticism more sensitively than it lets on.
Monkey compatibility: best and worst matches
Trine
The Rat and the Dragon share the Monkey's energy and ambition. With the Rat it shares cleverness and a head for business, with the Dragon big thinking and courage.
Secret friend
The Snake gives the Monkey depth and calm, and the Monkey brings humor and lightness into its life. They understand each other well, despite their different temperaments.
Opposite sign
The Tiger stands opposite the Monkey. The Monkey's teasing grates on the Tiger's pride, and the Tiger's directness looks naive to the Monkey, so rivalry comes easily.
Monkey lucky numbers and colors
- Lucky numbers
- 4 and 9
- Lucky colors
- white, blue and gold
This is what popular Chinese tradition says. Different sources list slightly different numbers and colors, so treat them as a fun fact, not a rule.
The Chinese zodiac is a cultural tradition more than two thousand years old, not a science. We calculate the dates and signs precisely, but read the personality descriptions as food for thought, not as a prophecy.
Frequently asked questions
What years are Monkey years in the Chinese zodiac?
Monkey years since 1924 are 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, and 2028. The Monkey comes back every 12 years, each time with a different element. The year begins on Chinese New Year, so people born in January and early February may still have the previous year's sign.
When is the next Year of the Monkey?
The next Monkey year, the Year of the Earth Monkey, begins on January 26, 2028.
What are the Monkey's personality traits?
The Monkey is seen as intelligent, inventive and fun. It learns fast, adapts easily to change and knows how to win people over. Its weaker side can be impatience, contrariness and cutting corners.
Who is the Monkey most compatible with?
By Chinese tradition the Monkey gets along best with the other signs of its trine: the Rat and Dragon. Its secret friend is the Snake, and its opposite sign is the Tiger. Tradition expects the most friction from that last pairing, though it doesn't rule the relationship out.
What are the Monkey's lucky numbers and colors?
By popular Chinese tradition the Monkey's lucky numbers are 4 and 9, and its lucky colors are white, blue and gold. Sources give slightly different sets, so treat them as a fun fact, not a rule.
Is the Monkey yin or yang?
The Monkey is always yang, because all Monkey years are even numbers. Yang is outward energy: active, direct and quick to get things started. The Monkey's fixed element is Metal, though from one Monkey year to the next it takes on each of the five elements in turn.
Your AI forecast for the Year of the Fire Horse
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