Year of the Monkey in the Chinese zodiac
Monkey illustration
The Monkey is ninth in the cycle. Classical stories far beyond the zodiac give monkeys a playful, clever reputation in Chinese literature.
Popular personality lists often call Monkey years inventive and lively.
A short history of the cycle
The Chinese zodiac (shēngxiào) ties each year to one of twelve animals linked to the Earthly Branches, an older counting system used for years, hours, and more. Over time the animals became the memorable public face of that cycle. Festival culture, family lore, and almanacs kept the sequence alive long before online birthday charts.
The Monkey is the ninth animal in the traditional order still used across much of East Asia.
How this site counts Monkey years
We follow Chinese New Year, not January 1. The Year of the Monkey runs from New Year’s day for that animal through the day before the next New Year. Recent Chinese years that began as Monkey opened in 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, and 2028 (and every twelve years around those dates).
Literature beyond the calendar
Journey to the West and other classics keep monkey characters famous. The zodiac borrows that cultural familiarity when Monkey year returns.
Western signs are a different chart
A birth date can also carry a tropical Western zodiac sign based on month and day. Chinese animals answer a year-cycle question. See Western zodiac for that system.
Try the calculator
Enter your birth date in the birthday calculator to see your Chinese zodiac animal beside weekday, age, and other birthday results.
Common questions
When does Year of the Monkey begin?
At Chinese New Year for that animal’s turn in the cycle. Recent New Years that opened a Monkey year include those in 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, and 2028. The day before that New Year still belongs to the previous animal.
How is this different from Western zodiac signs?
Chinese animals follow a twelve-year cycle marked by Chinese New Year. Western tropical signs follow month-and-day ranges within each year. A birthday can carry both labels.
Do Monkey years always match the Gregorian calendar year?
Not exactly. If you were born in January or early February, check whether your birthday fell before that year’s Chinese New Year. Before New Year you still belong to the prior animal.