1980 Chinese zodiac —
the Metal Monkey
| Animal sign | Monkey 申 — the Metal Monkey |
|---|---|
| Element | Yang Metal (庚) |
| 1980 Monkey year | Feb 16, 1980 – Feb 4, 1981 |
| Born Jan 1 – Feb 15, 1980 | Earth Goat of 1979 |
| Korean saju year | Starts at Ipchun, Feb 5, 1980 |
| Best matches | Rat, Dragon, Dog |
| Next Monkey year | 2028 (Earth Monkey), from Jan 26, 2028 |
| Age in 2026 | 46 (Korean age 47) |
People born between Feb 16, 1980 and Feb 4, 1981 are a Metal Monkey. The Metal Monkey is sharp, confident and very self-sufficient, with a strong competitive streak.
Born in January or early February 1980?
The 1980 Monkey year began at Chinese New Year on Feb 16, 1980. If you were born from January 1 to Feb 15, 1980, your sign is the Earth Goat of 1979. The year ended on Feb 4, 1981, so birthdays in early 1981 up to that date still count as Monkeys.
The Korean saju year starts at Ipchun
In Korean saju (the Four Pillars), the year pillar changes at Ipchun, the start of spring — Feb 5, 1980 at about 01:04 Korea time — not at Lunar New Year. A birthday from Feb 5 to Feb 15, 1980 is already 庚申 (Metal Monkey) in a saju chart but still a Goat by Lunar New Year. Why saju starts the year at Ipchun →
The Metal Monkey personality
The Metal Monkey is sharp, confident and very self-sufficient, with a strong competitive streak. Both the year stem and the Monkey’s own branch are Metal, so the Metal character is doubled this year. Metal brings resolve, standards and clean decisions.
Monkeys think fast and work with their hands as well as their heads. Whatever the situation, they find a way through. Strengths: quick thinking; versatility; humor that disarms people. Watch for: restlessness; being taken as unserious; difficulty sticking to one path.
Compatibility
Best matches for the Monkey: Rat (84/100), Dragon (84/100), Dog (74/100). Hardest: Tiger (25), Rabbit (42). All twelve Monkey matches →
Age
People born in the 1980 Monkey year turn 46 in 2026 (47 in Korean age) and 47 in 2027. The same Metal Monkey returns every sixty years — 1920 and 2040.
Monkey years
1932 Water · 1944 Wood · 1956 Fire · 1968 Earth · 1980 Metal · 1992 Water · 2004 Wood · 2016 Fire · 2028 Earth
The Monkey in 2027
The Year of the Fire Goat gives the Monkey 76/100 — a steady year. Read the 2027 forecast →
Questions about the 1980 zodiac
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1980?
1980 is the Year of the Monkey — the Metal Monkey (庚申). The Monkey year runs from Feb 16, 1980 to Feb 4, 1981: it starts at Chinese New Year, not on January 1.
Is someone born in January 1980 a Monkey?
Only if the birthday falls on or after Feb 16, 1980, when the Monkey year began. From January 1 to Feb 15, 1980, the sign is still the Earth Goat of 1979.
What element is the 1980 Monkey?
Metal. The year stem 庚 is yang metal, so everyone born in the 1980 Monkey year is a Metal Monkey. Metal brings resolve, standards and clean decisions.
When is the next Year of the Monkey?
2028, starting Jan 26, 2028 — the Earth Monkey. The Metal Monkey itself comes back every sixty years — 1920 and 2040.
Who 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).
Nearby years
← 1979 Earth Goat · 1981 Metal Rooster → · All years and the calculator
