Year of the Monkey —
the inventive problem-solver
| Monkey years | 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 |
|---|---|
| Most recent | 2016 (Fire Monkey) |
| Next Monkey year | 2028 (Earth Monkey), from Jan 26, 2028 |
| Branch · element | 申 Shen · Yang Metal |
| Best matches | Rat, Dragon, Dog |
| Hardest matches | Tiger, Rabbit |
| In 2027 | 76/100 — a steady year |
Monkeys think fast and work with their hands as well as their heads. Whatever the situation, they find a way through.
Monkey years
Each Monkey year starts at Chinese New Year, so January and early-February birthdays belong to the sign before. The dates below are the Chinese calendar (UTC+8).
| Year | Sign | From – to |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Water Monkey 壬申 | Feb 6, 1932 – Jan 25, 1933 |
| 1944 | Wood Monkey 甲申 | Jan 25, 1944 – Feb 12, 1945 |
| 1956 | Fire Monkey 丙申 | Feb 12, 1956 – Jan 30, 1957 |
| 1968 | Earth Monkey 戊申 | Jan 30, 1968 – Feb 16, 1969 |
| 1980 | Metal Monkey 庚申 | Feb 16, 1980 – Feb 4, 1981 |
| 1992 | Water Monkey 壬申 | Feb 4, 1992 – Jan 22, 1993 |
| 2004 | Wood Monkey 甲申 | Jan 22, 2004 – Feb 8, 2005 |
| 2016 | Fire Monkey 丙申 | Feb 8, 2016 – Jan 27, 2017 |
| 2028 | Earth Monkey 戊申 | Jan 26, 2028 – Feb 12, 2029 |
Personality
Strengths: quick thinking; versatility; humor that disarms people.
Challenges: restlessness; being taken as unserious; difficulty sticking to one path.
In love. Monkeys win people over with wit and cannot stand boredom. In serious moments they may deflect with a joke.
At work. Ideas and improvisation are the Monkey’s tools: technology, trading, marketing, entertainment — anything with many moving parts.
The five Monkeys
The year’s heavenly stem adds one of five elements, so a 1980 Monkey and a 1992 one are not quite the same animal.
- Wood Monkey1944, 2004
The Wood Monkey is inventive and sociable, the Monkey most interested in improving things for everyone. - Fire Monkey1956, 2016
The Fire Monkey is energetic and competitive, full of ideas and not shy about taking the lead. - Earth Monkey1968, 2028
The Earth Monkey is the most reliable Monkey — clever but steady, with genuine concern for others. - Metal Monkey1980
The Metal Monkey is sharp, confident and very self-sufficient, with a strong competitive streak. - Water Monkey1932, 1992
The Water Monkey is perceptive and flexible, strategic enough to get their way without a fight.
Best and worst matches
Best: Rat (84), Dragon (84), Dog (74). Hardest: Tiger (25), Rabbit (42).
| With | Score | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Rat 子 | 84 | A strong match Natural allies |
| Dragon 辰 | 84 | A strong match Natural allies |
| Dog 戌 | 74 | A comfortable match Same season |
| Rooster 酉 | 71 | A comfortable match Same season |
| Ox 丑 | 66 | A comfortable match Neutral |
| Goat 未 | 66 | A comfortable match Neutral |
| Monkey & Monkey 申 | 65 | A comfortable match Same sign |
| Snake 巳 | 57 | Needs work Secret friends |
| Pig 亥 | 57 | Needs work Harm |
| Horse 午 | 54 | Needs work Neutral |
| Rabbit 卯 | 42 | A clashing pair Quiet resentment |
| Tiger 寅 | 25 | A clashing pair Opposites |
Element associations
The Monkey’s branch carries Metal (金) — resolve, standards and clean decisions. In Korean tradition, Metal goes with white and silver, the west, and the numbers 4 and 9.
Beyond the year animal
Your animal sign is one of eight characters in a Korean saju chart, and not the one that describes you most closely. That job belongs to the Day Master, the stem of your birth day: ten natures from the Tall Pine to the Morning Dew. What saju is explains how the eight fit together.
The Monkey in 2027
The Year of the Fire Goat gives the Monkey 76/100 — a steady year (neutral with the goat). Read the Monkey’s 2027 horoscope → · Month by month for the Monkey
Questions about the Monkey
What years are the Year of the Monkey?
1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 and 2028. Each Monkey year starts at Chinese New Year, between January 21 and February 20, so a birthday early in one of those years can still belong to the sign before.
When is the next Year of the Monkey?
2028, from Jan 26, 2028 to Feb 12, 2029 — the Earth Monkey. The most recent was 2016, the Fire Monkey.
What is the Monkey most compatible with?
The Monkey’s best matches are the Rat (84/100), the Dragon (84/100) and the Dog (74/100); the hardest are the Tiger (25) and the Rabbit (42).
What element is the Monkey?
The Monkey’s branch 申 carries Metal, which it keeps every year. The year’s stem adds a second element, so there are five kinds of Monkey: Wood Monkey, Fire Monkey, Earth Monkey, Metal Monkey, Water Monkey.
Korean: 원숭이띠 · 원숭이띠 궁합 · 2027년 원숭이띠 운세 · All signs: Rat · Ox · Tiger · Rabbit · Dragon · Snake · Horse · Goat · Monkey · Rooster · Dog · Pig
