Chinese zodiac · sign 9 of 12 · 申 · Hong Life
You are a Monkey if you were born in 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 — counting from Lunar New Year, not January 1. The Monkey is the ninth sign of the Chinese zodiac, a yang sign whose fixed element is Metal, known in Korea as 원숭이띠 and in Vietnam as Thân (Khỉ, monkey).
Each Monkey year begins at Lunar New Year (China, UTC+8). Birthdays in January or early February before the start date belong to the previous sign, the Goat. Click a year for its own page with the exact boundary, Korean Seollal and Ipchun times.
| Year | Sign | Stem-branch | Dates | Korean ddi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | Metal Monkey | 庚申 | Feb 20, 1920 – Feb 7, 1921 | 흰 원숭이띠 |
| 1932 | Water Monkey | 壬申 | Feb 6, 1932 – Jan 25, 1933 | 검은 원숭이띠 |
| 1944 | Wood Monkey | 甲申 | Jan 25, 1944 – Feb 12, 1945 | 푸른 원숭이띠 |
| 1956 | Fire Monkey | 丙申 | Feb 12, 1956 – Jan 30, 1957 | 붉은 원숭이띠 |
| 1968 | Earth Monkey | 戊申 | Jan 30, 1968 – Feb 16, 1969 | 황금 원숭이띠 |
| 1980 | Metal Monkey | 庚申 | Feb 16, 1980 – Feb 4, 1981 | 흰 원숭이띠 |
| 1992 | Water Monkey | 壬申 | Feb 4, 1992 – Jan 22, 1993 | 검은 원숭이띠 |
| 2004 | Wood Monkey | 甲申 | Jan 22, 2004 – Feb 8, 2005 | 푸른 원숭이띠 |
| 2016 | Fire Monkey | 丙申 | Feb 8, 2016 – Jan 27, 2017 | 붉은 원숭이띠 |
| 2028 | Earth Monkey | 戊申 | Jan 26, 2028 – Feb 12, 2029 | 황금 원숭이띠 |
Monkey years are associated with wit, curiosity and versatility. Monkeys are said to learn fast, solve problems creatively and keep any group entertained.
Tradition sees the Monkey as the inventor of the zodiac: quick, playful and endlessly inventive, at its best when it has a new puzzle to crack.
The Monkey King, Sun Wukong of Journey to the West, gave the sign its reputation for brilliance, mischief and endless tricks. Japan’s three wise monkeys (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil) are another monkey motif.
Fun and lively, needing mental stimulation; Monkeys look for a partner who can keep up with their humour and ideas.
Strong in technology, engineering, trading, marketing, entertainment, journalism and problem-solving roles.
These are traditional folk associations, not psychological findings.
The year’s heavenly stem adds one of five elements, so there are five kinds of Monkey that repeat every 60 years. The Monkey’s own branch element is Metal, so the Metal Monkey is the “purest” form of the sign.
| Type | Years | Traditional flavour |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Monkey | 1944, 2004 | cooperative, principled, keeps growing; watch for overcommitting, stubborn about ideals |
| Fire Monkey | 1956, 2016 | enthusiastic, expressive, inspiring; watch for impatient, prone to burnout |
| Earth Monkey | 1968, 2028 | reliable, patient, grounded; watch for slow to change, worries quietly |
| Metal Monkey | 1920, 1980 | disciplined, loyal, decisive; watch for rigid, can sound blunt |
| Water Monkey | 1932, 1992 | perceptive, diplomatic, adaptable; watch for indecisive, keeps feelings hidden |
| Partner | Rating | Relation | Traditional reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | Very good | Three Harmony | Both belong to the Water trine (Monkey, Rat, Dragon), sharing goals and a similar pace. |
| Dragon | Very good | Three Harmony | Both belong to the Water trine (Monkey, Rat, Dragon), sharing goals and a similar pace. |
| Snake | Very good | Six Harmony, Punishment | Six Harmony makes them natural allies, though the Snake–Monkey pair also counts as a punishment pair, so trust has to be earned. |
| Ox | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Rabbit | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Horse | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Goat | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Monkey | Neutral | Same sign | Same sign: easy understanding and shared habits, with the risk of shared blind spots. |
| Rooster | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Dog | Neutral | — | No special classical relationship: compatibility depends on the rest of the chart and on the people themselves. |
| Pig | Challenging | Harm | A Harm pair: small misunderstandings can pile up; regular honest talk helps. |
| Tiger | Most difficult | Clash, Punishment | Opposite signs that also form a punishment pair: strong attraction, frequent power struggles. |
Korean gunghap adds the wonjin (원진) pair, Monkey–Rabbit. Compare every pair on the 12×12 compatibility chart.
2027 is the Yin Fire Goat year Jeongmi (丁未), from Feb 6, 2027 to Jan 25, 2028 in the Chinese calendar (Korean Seollal: Feb 7). For the Monkey: No special relationship with the Goat.
Your sign has no classical harmony or clash with the Goat, so 2027 is read as a "neutral" year in which results depend on your own effort and on the rest of your chart rather than on the year sign.
Each Monkey year also meets the Fire stem differently:
| Born | Sign | Age in 2027 | Element vs. 2027 Fire |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Wood Monkey | 83 | Wood feeds Fire |
| 1956 | Fire Monkey | 71 | Fire meets Fire |
| 1968 | Earth Monkey | 59 | Fire feeds Earth |
| 1980 | Metal Monkey | 47 | Fire controls Metal |
| 1992 | Water Monkey | 35 | Water controls Fire |
| 2004 | Wood Monkey | 23 | Wood feeds Fire |
| 2016 | Fire Monkey | 11 | Fire meets Fire |
See the full 2027 Year of the Goat guide.
| Branch | 申 Sin (Shēn / saru) |
|---|---|
| Yin-yang | Yang |
| Fixed element | Metal |
| Trine | Water trine: Monkey, Rat, Dragon |
| Double-hour | 15:00–17:00 |
| Solar month | about Aug 8 – Sep 7 |
| Direction | West-southwest |
| Korean / Japanese / Vietnamese | 원숭이띠 / saru (申, saru) / Thân (Khỉ, monkey) |
| Lucky numbers / colours | 4, 9 / white, blue (popular modern list; varies by source) |
Recent Monkey years are 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028. Each starts at Lunar New Year, not on January 1, so check the exact dates in the table.
Tradition favours the Snake (Six Harmony) and the Rat and Dragon (Three Harmony). The Tiger is the clashing sign. This is folklore for entertainment; real relationships depend on the people.
Depending on the year’s stem, a Monkey is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water: Metal Monkey 1980; Water Monkey 1992; Wood Monkey 1944, 2004; Fire Monkey 1956, 2016; Earth Monkey 1968, 2028.
No special relationship with the Goat: Your sign has no classical harmony or clash with the Goat, so 2027 is read as a "neutral" year in which results depend on your own effort and on the rest of your chart rather than on the year sign.
The Monkey is 원숭이 (申) in Korean, and people born in its years are called 원숭이띠.
In Korean Saju the year animal is one of four pillars. The free calculator shows all of them, plus your five-element balance and a 2027 outlook.
Open the free Korean Saju calculator →Everything on this page about personality, compatibility and luck is cultural tradition for entertainment.