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 2025 -- the Year of Snake
Year 2025 is a relatively complicated year for Monkey people because of offending Tai Sui. When it's good, it goes very smoothly, but when it's bad, everything goes wrong. For people born in the Year of the Monkey, your fortunes often collide and rub, making them extremely complicated. If it is not well weighed and grasped, it will have many negative impacts on career and financial fortune. If there is no prevention and preparation in advance, some sudden unexpected situations will also make people unprepared.
However, although your fortune in the Year of the Snake is complicated, you also be blessed by auspicious stars. For example, "Taiyin" indicates that you will be supported by female people in the new year. If your direct leader is a woman, then you can get more help, such as capital turnover or connections, etc.
In addition, the appearance of "Suihe" indicates that there will be many new cooperation opportunities this year. Maybe someone will seek cooperation and there will be unexpected surprises. The auspicious star "Guoyin" will bring good luck to Monkey natives who work in the government, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises. If you perform well, you may be promoted.
Career
The overall career performance of Monkey people in 2025 is good. Despite of offending Tai Sui, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The dual help of lucky stars "Taiyin" and "Taisui" will benefit you if you are working in women-related industries. For example, Monkeys in women's clothing and cosmetics will see orders surge compared to previous years.
In addition, Monkey people can also get help from the female. Their support and encouragement will allow you to rediscover the goal and direction of struggle, and your personal abilities can also be fully utilized and affirmed.
However, 2025 is also a year of "good luck but also bad luck". You should not be too radical in anything you do. When investing, be careful to act within your capabilities and don't be too blind. As for Monkey natives who have the idea of changing jobs or changing positions, be sure to confirm with the other party before taking action.
Wealth
Monkey people's financial fortune will progress relatively slowly in 2025, and there will be almost no short-term revenge or high profits. But "Taiyin" star is a slow and investment-oriented fortune star, which means that Monkey people have the opportunity to obtain income in 2025.
For those who invest in the long term, their income in the new year will increase accordingly. Therefore, this year it is not appropriate to explore new areas or blindly expand the scale. You should optimize on the original basis, or increase the amount appropriately.
Generally speaking, you should be cautious, and your wealth will still increase to a certain extent. It should be noted that this year, Monkey people may have money disputes with others, which may escalate into lawsuits, and a strong mentality is needed to resolve them.
Love & Relationship
Monkey people usually have good rapport with the opposite sex and are surrounded by many suitors. But when entering 2025, changes in feelings and interpersonal relationships are very complicated. Maybe a friend you had a good relationship with before will have a falling out this year because of some small things, and you will no longer communicate with each other. However, Monkey people also have the opportunity to meet people with similar temperaments and personalities, and can run into the future together.
Single Monkeys need to work hard to identify sincerity and spend time managing your relationship, so that it can go further. However, for Monkey people who are preparing for pregnancy, your dream is expected to come true in 2025.
Health
Entering 2025, the overall health fortune of Monkey people will be relatively stable, and physical diseases will rarely occur. But you still need to pay more attention to joint problems in daily life, and be wary of sprains, falls, abrasions, etc.
If you often drive or ride a bicycle in your daily life, or if you like to engage in more adventurous activities like climbing, you must take protective measures to avoid injury. It should be noted that people born in the year of Monkey will feel more pressure in 2025. You should avoid drinking or smoking too frequently.
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. |