2004 Chinese zodiac: Wood Monkey
Born on or after January 22, 2004, you are a Wood Monkey. Born January 1 to January 21, 2004, you are a Water Goat.
Wood Monkey · 2004
01 · DATES
Why 2004 has two signs
The Chinese year does not start on 1 January. It starts at Chinese New Year, which was January 22, 2004 in 2004. So the people born in 2004 split across two animals.
| Born | Sign | Chinese year |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2004 to January 21, 2004 | Water Goat | 2003 (癸未) |
| January 22, 2004 to December 31, 2004 | Wood Monkey | 2004 (甲申) |
Dates follow the calendar in China. Five Elements (BaZi) charts change year at the start of spring, around 4 February, so a BaZi chart can give a different animal for an early-February birthday. See the Five Elements tool.
Chinese New Year 2004 is on a Thursday, January 22, 2004, and the Lantern Festival closes the celebration on February 5, 2004. The Wood Monkey year lasts 384 days, until February 8, 2005. The same sign and element came round in 1944 and come round again in 2064. A 2004 birthday turns 22 in 2026 and 23 in 2027. Before it came the Water Goat year, from February 1, 2003. After it comes the Wood Rooster year, from February 9, 2005. It is a leap year in the Chinese calendar, with a thirteenth lunar month added.
02 · THIS YEAR
What sets 2004 apart
Chinese New Year came 10 days earlier on the calendar than in 2003. The Sun entered Aquarius on January 21, 2004, 1 day earlier, so the Wood Monkey year opens in Aquarius season.
21 days of 2004, from January 1 to January 21, 2004, still belong to the Water Goat year. The other 345 belong to the Wood Monkey.
Chinese New Year came 13 days before 4 February, the usual start of spring. For those 13 days, from January 22, 2004 to February 3, 2004, the Chinese calendar counts a Wood Monkey where a Five Elements chart still counts a Water Goat.
03 · ELEMENT
What the Wood adds to the Monkey
The Wood Monkey is the most inventive. Wood adds growth and generosity, so this Monkey shares what it knows and is a gifted teacher. It is a Yang year (even), the outward, active side.
The year's stem is Wood and the Monkey's own branch is Metal. Metal controls Wood in the cycle, so the animal holds the element in check. Traditionally that reads as a Monkey whose nature keeps the Wood in line.
Every Monkey year has a different element, so a Wood Monkey is not the same as the other Monkeys. The cycle repeats every 60 years. Read the full Monkey guide, or see all 12 signs and every year on the Chinese zodiac overview.
The Monkey year before this one was 1992, a Water Monkey year that began on February 4, 1992. Chinese New Year was 13 days later then, and the element moved on from Water to Wood. The Monkey year after this one was 2016, a Fire Monkey year that began on February 8, 2016. Chinese New Year was 17 days later then, and the element then moved on from Wood to Fire.
Your own year, the year your animal comes round again, repeats every 12 years: 2016 (Fire Monkey), 2028 (Earth Monkey), 2040 (Metal Monkey), 2052 (Water Monkey), 2064 (Wood Monkey).
| Year | Sign | Starts |
|---|---|---|
| 2028 | Earth Monkey | January 26, 2028 |
| 2016 | Fire Monkey | February 8, 2016 |
| 2004 | Wood Monkeythis page | January 22, 2004 |
| 1992 | Water Monkey | February 4, 1992 |
| 1980 | Metal Monkey | February 16, 1980 |
| 1968 | Earth Monkey | January 30, 1968 |
| 1956 | Fire Monkey | February 12, 1956 |
| 1944 | Wood Monkey | January 25, 1944 |
| 1932 | Water Monkey | February 6, 1932 |
04 · THE SIGN
The Monkey behind the Wood
The Monkey's best matches are Rat and Dragon (triple harmony) and Snake (secret friend). Tiger sits opposite on the wheel and is the traditional clash.
Strengths and blind spots, every compatible sign, and the full 2026 and 2027 reading are on the Monkey guide.
05 · 2026 AND 2027
What 2026 and 2027 mean for a Wood Monkey
Every year carries its own animal and element. Here is how each one sits next to a Wood Monkey, read the traditional way. Treat it as something to think with, not a forecast.
2026
Fire Horse year
Animal. Monkey and Horse have no special tie, but the Horse's Fire melts the Monkey's Metal in the cycle of control. Tradition reads pressure: work heats up, deadlines tighten, and the Monkey's quick mind is tested. The Monkey that picks one front and sticks to it handles the year well.
Element. Wood feeds Fire in the cycle, so you give more energy than you get back. Pace yourself.
2027
Fire Goat year
Animal. Monkey and Goat have no special tie, and the Goat's Earth feeds the Monkey's Metal, though the year's Fire is still a test. Tradition reads a milder year than 2026: pressure eases and the Monkey gets room to think. It suits steady building more than quick wins.
Element. Wood feeds Fire in the cycle, so you give more energy than you get back. Pace yourself.
Your sign is where it starts
Your Annual Report
A Wood Monkey year is shared by a lot of people, and no two of them live it the same way. Your Annual Report reads your Five Elements and Western chart together, then draws your year as one curve. You can see the months that carry you forward, the ones that ask you to slow down, and how the year builds from January to December.
06 · FAMOUS
Famous Wood Monkeys born in 2004
Born from January 22, 2004 to the end of 2004, counted with the same Chinese New Year table as this page.
- Millie Bobby Brown · February 19, 2004
07 · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chinese zodiac for 2004?
Birthdays from January 22, 2004 to December 31, 2004 fall in the Chinese year of the Wood Monkey, which runs until February 8, 2005. Birthdays from January 1 to January 21, 2004 belong to the year before: Water Goat.
What if I was born in January or February 2004?
The Chinese year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. In 2004 that was January 22, 2004. Born before it, you are a Water Goat. Born on or after it, you are a Wood Monkey. 21 days of 2004, from January 1 to January 21, 2004, still belong to the Water Goat year. The other 345 belong to the Wood Monkey.
Was Chinese New Year early in 2004?
Yes. January 22, 2004 is day 22 of the year. Between 1924 and 2030 the date moves between January 21 and February 20, and 2004 sits near the early end. Chinese New Year came 10 days earlier on the calendar than in 2003.
Why does the Wood Monkey year have 13 months?
The Chinese calendar adds a leap month about seven times every 19 years, to keep its months in step with the seasons. 2004 is one of those years, so the Wood Monkey year lasts 384 days, 19 more than a 365-day calendar year.
What element is the 2004 Monkey?
Wood, with Yang polarity. Wood adds growth and generosity, plus a restless urge to build. The Monkey years are 2028 (Earth), 2016 (Fire), 2004 (Wood), 1992 (Water), 1980 (Metal), 1968 (Earth), 1956 (Fire), 1944 (Wood), 1932 (Water).
Who holds the reins in a Wood Monkey, the Monkey or the Wood?
The year's stem is Wood and the Monkey's own branch is Metal. Metal controls Wood in the cycle, so the animal holds the element in check. Traditionally that reads as a Monkey whose nature keeps the Wood in line.
When does the Monkey come round again after 2004?
Your own year, the year your animal comes round again, repeats every 12 years: 2016 (Fire Monkey), 2028 (Earth Monkey), 2040 (Metal Monkey), 2052 (Water Monkey), 2064 (Wood Monkey).
How old is a 2004 Monkey in 2027?
A birthday in 2004 turns 22 in 2026 and 23 in 2027, counted the Western way. The sign does not change with age: you stay a Wood Monkey for life.
Which famous people were born in 2004 under the Wood Monkey?
Millie Bobby Brown. All were born on or after January 22, 2004, so the Chinese New Year table makes them Wood Monkeys.
Who is a Wood Monkey compatible with?
The Monkey's best matches are Rat and Dragon (triple harmony) and Snake (secret friend). Tiger sits opposite on the wheel and is the traditional clash. These are old zodiac-wheel relations, and they describe tendencies, not outcomes.
What do 2026 and 2027 mean for a Wood Monkey?
Monkey and Horse have no special tie, but the Horse's Fire melts the Monkey's Metal in the cycle of control. Tradition reads pressure: work heats up, deadlines tighten, and the Monkey's quick mind is tested. The Monkey that picks one front and sticks to it handles the year well. Wood feeds Fire in the cycle, so you give more energy than you get back. Pace yourself. For 2027, a Fire Goat year: Monkey and Goat have no special tie, and the Goat's Earth feeds the Monkey's Metal, though the year's Fire is still a test. Tradition reads a milder year than 2026: pressure eases and the Monkey gets room to think. It suits steady building more than quick wins. Wood feeds Fire in the cycle, so you give more energy than you get back. Pace yourself.
Updated November 2026
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