Chinese Zodiac Monkey
The Monkey (猴) ranks the ninth sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle, following the Goat and ahead of the Rooster. The Chinese zodiac, also known as Shengxiao, is a repeating 12-year cycle, with each year related to an animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
According to traditional Chinese culture, it’s believed that a person takes on the same qualities as their symbolic Chinese zodiac animal. Anyone born in the Year of the Monkey is thought to be energetic, smart, creative, outgoing, curious, and optimistic.
The latest year of the Monkey was 2016, and the coming year of the Horse will be 2028, to be more specific, an Earth Monkey year. Chinese Zodiac Year of Monkey 2028 starts from February 4, 2028, and lasts until February 2, 2029.
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Chinese Zodiac Monkey Years – Am I a Horse?
Are you a Monkey? If you were born in one of the following years, in most cases, you are probably a Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, and 2040. However, if you were born in early February, you should pay extra attention to figure out your China zodiac animal.
According to Chinese traditions, the Chinese zodiac signs are not set by the Chinese New Year but by Lichun. Lichun (立春), literally the start of spring, is the first solar term of the 24 Solar Terms in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar.
Lichun Day usually falls on February 3, 4, or 5 of the Gregorian calendar. It could be before or after the date of the Chinese New Year for that year. For example, if you were born on February 5, 2016, your Chinese zodiac animal is the Monkey, not the Goat, even though the Chinese New Year 2016 fell on February 8, 2016.
As mentioned, the Chinese zodiac recurs in a repeating order every 12 years. For Monkey natives, your Chinese zodiac year comes when you are 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84... Chinese people call the zodiac year Ben Ming Nian (本命年) in Chinese. In traditional Chinese culture, it's believed that Benmingnian is a year of bad luck for those born under the zodiac sign for that year.
If you want to find out whether your Chinese zodiac animal is the Monkey, the Goat, or the Rooster, you need to switch the Gregorian calendar to the Chinese lunar calendar. And then check the date of Lichun that year. Or simply check out the table below to determine whether you are a Monkey or not.
Recent Chinese Zodiac Monkey Years
| Monkey Year | Start Date | End Date | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | February 5, 1932 | February 3, 1933 | Water Monkey |
| 1944 | February 5, 1944 | February 3, 1945 | Wood Monkey |
| 1956 | February 5, 1956 | February 3, 1957 | Fire Monkey |
| 1968 | February 5, 1968 | February 3, 1969 | Earth Monkey |
| 1980 | February 5, 1980 | February 3, 1981 | Metal Monkey |
| 1992 | February 4, 1992 | February 3, 1993 | Water Monkey |
| 2004 | February 4, 2004 | February 3, 2005 | Wood Monkey |
| 2016 | February 4, 2016 | February 2, 2017 | Fire Monkey |
| 2028 | February 4, 2028 | February 2, 2029 | Earth Monkey |
| 2040 | February 4, 2040 | February 2, 2041 | Metal Monkey |
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Chinese Zodiac Monkey in Chinese Culture
Among the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, the Monkey is a favorite animal. Its smart, energetic, and playful characteristics are embellished, idealized, and worshiped by ancient Chinese people for their pursuit of a better life. The monkey has deep cultural significance in China. Read on to find some of their symbolism in Chinese culture.
1. Monkey King Sun Wukong
The most famous monkey in China is probably the “Monkey King” Sun Wukong (孙悟空), the main character in the well-known Chinese novel Journey to the West (西游记). Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Dream of the Red Chamber are the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.
In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong is a monkey born from a magical rock. He got his incredible superhuman powers through Taoist practices. Sun Wukong protected the Buddhist monk Xuanzang from evil spirits along the way to India. Finally, they brought back Buddhist sutras successfully.
2. Monkey Kung Fu
Monkey Kung Fu, or known as Hou Quan (猴拳) in Chinese, is a Chinese martial art that utilizes the movement of monkeys and apes as part of its technique. In the animated film Kung Fu Panda, Master Monkey is one of the supporting characters. His archetype was inspired by the unique martial art Monkey Kung Fu.
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3. Symbol of Success
The Chinese character for monkey "猴" sounds the same as the character for high official "候". So monkeys symbolize promising careers and prosperity in China since feudal times. In ancient China, it was an extremely honorable thing to be promoted to a high official position, become a minister, or be conferred a rank of nobility. If you see a Chinese painting of a monkey riding a horse, it represents the good wish of getting promoted quickly.
4. Symbol of Protection
According to the Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu, 本草纲目), raising female monkey in the stable can prevent horses from plague. Ancient Chinese people thought the monkey could ward off evil spirits. In the Song Dynasty, people born in the Year of the Monkey wore monkey-shaped coin mascots to drive out evil spirits.
In rural Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia, people carve a monkey on the kang (heated sleeping platform built with bricks). It is specially used to tether toddlers who have just learned to crawl at six or seven months. The mother ties one end of a red thread to the monkey’s leg, and the other end to her baby by the waist. It’s believed that the monkey will bless the baby with peace.
Lucky and Unlucky Things for People Born in the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Monkey
Things to Bring Goat Good Luck
Things to Bring Goat Bad Luck
Chinese Zodiac Monkey Traits: Active, Smart, Humorous...
In the Chinese zodiac, each animal has particular characteristics. Chinese people believe that a person born in a certain year usually has the characteristics of the animal representing that year. Therefore, the Monkey zodiac affects the personality of those who were born in a Monkey year.
People under the Monkey zodiac sign are considered smart, alert, observant, ambitious, and versatile. They are also cool-headed, thoughtful, and think deeply about intricate problems. Monkeys are strategists. They never act blindly. They always make plans and prepare everything. They have the personality traits to be successful.
Monkey natives are generally lively, energetic, confident, humorous, charming, optimistic, and sociable. They are popular and loved by everyone for their humor and enthusiasm. Monkeys are good storytellers and can be very persuasive. Therefore, they are suitable for jobs like sales, lawyers, and politicians.
On the other side, people born under the zodiac sign of the Monkey tend to be overly confident and self-righteous at times. Monkey people are prone to instant mood swings and a short temper. They can also be fickle and impatient, making them hard to stick to one thing. It can seem like they are not reliable and irresponsible.
Strengths of Monkey
Weakness of Monkey
Male Monkey Characteristics
Men born in the year of Horse are intelligent, talented, enterprising, competitive, agile, and unfettered. They are also lively, romantic, humorous, witty, and sociable. They can get along very well with others and always bring joy to people around them.
Meanwhile, male Monkeys tend to be arrogant and exaggerated. They are also very stubborn and stick to their own opinions. Though efficient, Monkey men playful and lack of persistence. They crave for success, but they often focus on immediate interests and quick success.
Female Horse Characteristics
Like their zodiac sign, female Monkeys are clever, quick-witted, energetic, and flexible. They are also outgoing, friendly, and humorous. They are very good at dealing with people. Their charming personalities make them popular among friends.
In addition, Monkey women are impulsive and impatient. They often act immediately without careful consideration and preparation. They also have high self-esteem, a strong sense of superiority, and a little selfishness.
Chinese Zodiac Monkey Five Elements for Five Personalities
| Elements | Personalities | Recent Years |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Monkey | Natural leader, intelligent, hardworking, charming, arrogant | 1944, 2004 |
| Fire Monkey | Enterprising, ambitious, popular, loyal to friends, adventurous, short-tempered | 1956, 2016 |
| Earth Monkey | Optimistic, frank, loyal, enterprising, hardworking | 1968, 2028 |
| Metal Monkey | Active, responsible, dedicated to work, sympathetic | 1980, 2040 |
| Water Monkey | Confident, clever, eloquent, impatient, stubborn | 1932, 1992 |
Zodiac Monkey Love Compatibility – Your Most Compatible Zodiacs
According to Chinese astrology, Chinese zodiac animals’ compatibility is mainly derived from the relations of twelve Dizhi (地支, Earthly Branches). As the 9th animal among the 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac, the Monkey represents the Earthly Branch shen (申).
Chinese zodiac Monkey compatibility is decided by the inter-promotion and interaction relations between shen and other Earthly Branches.
Best Matches: Rat, Dragon, Snake
The Monkey, the Rat, and the Dragon are in the same group of the four San He (三合, Three Harmonies) combinations. Generally speaking, people born in the year of the Monkey get along very well with those born in the year of the Rat and Dragon.
The Monkey and the Snake are in the same pair of the Liu He (六合, Six Harmonies) combinations. Accordingly, Monkey people and Snake people are also compatible with each other.
Generally, Three Harmonies is better than Six Harmonies. So Monkey natives best match the Rat and the Dragon, while the Snake is the second-best compatibility for the Monkey.
Least Matches: Tiger, Pig
The Monkey and the Tiger are in one pair of the Earthly Branches Liu Chong (六冲, Six Conflicting) groups. The Earthly Branches Six Conflicts indicates opposition between the Earth Branches. Therefore, Monkey people and Tiger people are not compatible with each other.
The Monkey and the Pig are in the same pair of the Liu Hai (六害, Six Harming) groups, so they don’t make a natural match either. Harming means being harmful to each other generally. There will be fights and quarrels between them at times. If they can solve their problems through calm talks, they can have a stable relationship for a long time.
Monkey’s Compatibility with 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals
| Rat | Ox | Tiger | Rabbit | Dragon | Snake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best | Average | Worst | Average | Best | Best |
| Horse | Goat | Monkey | Rooster | Dog | Pig |
| Average | Average | Average | Average | Average | Worst |
Guide for Monkeys’ Career
According to Chinese zodiac signs, people born in a Monkey year are naturally curious, impatient, and want to try everything. They feel fulfilled only in work that is full of excitement and challenges. Otherwise, they will feel bored no matter how busy they are. Therefore, challenging jobs like professional athletes, stockbrokers, and journalists are good fits.
Monkey natives are also calm and cool-headed. They can deal with complicated problems in an orderly manner. So they are also suitable for jobs that require logical thinking, such as detectives, lawyers, and programmers.
They prefer to work alone without restraint. When Monkeys find a career that appeals to their interests, they are destined to be outstanding. Freelancers, writers, and actors/actresses are also good choices for Monkey people.
Zodiac Monkeys’ Horoscope in 2023 the Year of Rabbit
In the Year of the Rabbit (Gui Mao), 2023, the overall fortune of the Monkey people goes with ups and downs. They will be blessed of ‘Zi Wei’ and ‘Wen Chang’ lucky stars, however, the malevolent star ‘Tian E’ will also play a negative role in the life of Monkeys. Therefore, not everything will go that smoothly for the monkey people in this year. Health
In 2023, the overall health condition of the Monkey will be relatively stable. However, the monkeys are under a lot of pressure at work this year, so they always feel unhappy and very negative. It is suggested that Monkeys can invite several close friends to gather and chat together, talk about the annoying things in heart. This will help them get out of the predicament. Otherwise, the long-term depressed mental state will have a great impact on the body and mind, and even lead to depression. In addition, because the malevolent star ‘Tian E’ will be working in secret, the Monkeys may suffer the unexpected personal financial losses this year, so don't be too impatient at this time, you must know that your health is the first priority, and you can't be busy all day long. Work, otherwise you will lose your health, and it will be futile to have more money. In their spare time, it is recommended that the monkeys do more exercise to strengthen the body's immunity and resist the invasion of viruses.
Career
In 2023, the Monkey people will have twists and turns in their career. The main problem is that there are some problems in interpersonal relationships. Monkey people are simple and honest in nature, and they are very sincere in dealing with people. However, sometimes because of this temperament, they will offend others inadvertently, and they will be talked about behind their backs by villains. But don't worry too much, as long as the Monkeys ignore them, the rumors will naturally disappear after a long time.In addition, due to the influence of the evil star, the Monkeys always feel upset when dealing with busy duties this year, so naturally they lose patience, and even have conflicts with their colleagues or partners. It is recommended that the Monkey people may adjust their mentality, do not bring their bad mood into the work, and set a work plan for themselves, otherwise their impulsive personality will bring them a lot of trouble.
Love & Relationship
In 2023, the overall fortune of the Monkey in love will show an upward trend. With the help of the two lucky stars "Yue De" and "Wen Chang", their love and marriage will go smoothly. The "Yue De" Star can enhance the self-confidence of the monkey people. The whole person becomes radiant. The more confident they are, the more likely to be favored by the opposite sex. On various social occasions, they will often be reached by the opposite sex to ask for contact information, so this year there are loads of opportunities for Monkeys to make friends of the opposite sex. If there is someone they fall for, they must take the initiative to avoid missing a good relationship.For the married Monkeys, the relationship with their spouse is also heating up this year. The couples get well along, mainly because they have both learned to think in the shoes of the others. To tolerate each other makes their love stay long and sweet, and the family atmosphere will be very harmonious.
Wealth
In 2023, the wealth luck of the Monkey people will be relatively turbulent as a whole. In terms of mainstream income, because of the unstable career, the income will possibly decrease a lot compared to before. This year, the monkeys are under great pressure at work, and projects are always hindered by various obstacles when they are about to be successfully advanced, which makes the monkeys feel very frustrated for a time. But don't give up on yourself, sinking in pessimism will also affect the efficiency of work. It is recommended that the monkeys should put in more effort this year than before, so as to break through obstacles and eventually succeed. If there is something they don't understand at work, they should be diligent in learning and asking questions. Don’t turn lazy and stay stagnant all the time. As for the villains who talk behind their backs, the Monkeys can simply ignore them. As long as they can do their job well and show excellent ability, the Monkeys will dispel the rumors about you and be recognized by everyone.This year, the wealth luck of the Monkeys is not favorable, so there is no need to spend energy on researching investment and financial matters, especially for those high-return projects. Although they look very exciting and promising, you should not invest, or you may suffer big losses. In addition, under the influence of the "Da Hao" malevolent star, the monkeys may have the risk of losing money this year. Usually, they should have a reasonable household budget, and try not to buy the unnecessary things. In case of the uncertainties of the future, they can have some family financial reserves.
Zodiac Monkey Famous People
Chinese Zodiac Monkey Vocabulary & Idioms
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 生肖 | shēng xiāo | Chinese Zodiac |
| 农历生日 | nóng lì shēng rì | Lunar Birthday |
| 你属什么 | nǐ shǔ shén me | What is your Chinese zodiac animal? |
| 我属猴 | wǒ shǔ hóu | I am a Monkey in Chinese zodiac sign. |
| 猴年马月 | hóu nián mǎ yuè | One of these years |
| 沐猴而冠 | mù hóu ér guàn | A snobbish social climber |
| 杀鸡儆猴 | shā jī jǐng hóu | Punish someone as a warning to others |
| 尖嘴猴腮 | jiān zuǐ hóu sāi | Someone has a wretched appearance with mouth sticks out and chins of an ape. |