2028 Chinese zodiac: Earth Monkey
Born on or after January 26, 2028, you are an Earth Monkey. Born January 1 to January 25, 2028, you are a Fire Goat.
Earth Monkey Β· 2028
01 Β· DATES
Why 2028 has two signs
The Chinese year does not start on 1 January. It starts at Chinese New Year, which was January 26, 2028 in 2028. So the people born in 2028 split across two animals.
| Born | Sign | Chinese year |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2028 to January 25, 2028 | Fire Goat | 2027 (δΈζͺ) |
| January 26, 2028 to December 31, 2028 | Earth Monkey | 2028 (ζη³) |
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 2028 is on a Wednesday, January 26, 2028, and the Lantern Festival closes the celebration on February 9, 2028. The Earth Monkey year lasts 384 days, until February 12, 2029. The same sign and element came round in 1968 and come round again in 2088. Before it came the Fire Goat year, from February 6, 2027. After it comes the Earth Rooster year, from February 13, 2029. It is a leap year in the Chinese calendar, with a thirteenth lunar month added.
02 Β· THIS YEAR
What sets 2028 apart
Chinese New Year came 11 days earlier on the calendar than in 2027. The Sun entered Aquarius on January 20, 2028, 6 days earlier, so the Earth Monkey year opens in Aquarius season.
25 days of 2028, from January 1 to January 25, 2028, still belong to the Fire Goat year. The other 341 belong to the Earth Monkey.
Chinese New Year came 9 days before 4 February, the usual start of spring. For those 9 days, from January 26, 2028 to February 3, 2028, the Chinese calendar counts an Earth Monkey where a Five Elements chart still counts a Fire Goat.
03 Β· ELEMENT
What the Earth adds to the Monkey
The Earth Monkey is the most grounded. Earth steadies the Monkey's restlessness, so this Monkey finishes what it starts. It is practical and reliable. It is a Yang year (even), the outward, active side.
The year's stem is Earth and the Monkey's own branch is Metal. Earth feeds Metal in the cycle, so the element gives its energy to the animal. Traditionally that reads as generous and sometimes tiring: the element spends itself on the sign.
Every Monkey year has a different element, so an Earth 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 2016, a Fire Monkey year that began on February 8, 2016. Chinese New Year was 13 days later then, and the element moved on from Fire to Earth.
Your own year, the year your animal comes round again, repeats every 12 years: 2040 (Metal Monkey), 2052 (Water Monkey), 2064 (Wood Monkey), 2076 (Fire Monkey), 2088 (Earth Monkey).
| Year | Sign | Starts |
|---|---|---|
| 2028 | Earth Monkeythis page | January 26, 2028 |
| 2016 | Fire Monkey | February 8, 2016 |
| 2004 | Wood Monkey | 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 Β· THE SIGN
The Monkey behind the Earth
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 Β· 2026 AND 2027
What 2026 and 2027 mean for an Earth Monkey
Every year carries its own animal and element. Here is how each one sits next to an Earth 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. Fire feeds Earth in the Five Elements cycle, so the year tends to back you.
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. Fire feeds Earth in the Five Elements cycle, so the year tends to back you.
Your sign is where it starts
Your Annual Report
A Earth 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 Β· FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chinese zodiac for 2028?
Birthdays from January 26, 2028 to December 31, 2028 fall in the Chinese year of the Earth Monkey, which runs until February 12, 2029. Birthdays from January 1 to January 25, 2028 belong to the year before: Fire Goat.
What if I was born in January or February 2028?
The Chinese year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. In 2028 that was January 26, 2028. Born before it, you are a Fire Goat. Born on or after it, you are an Earth Monkey. 25 days of 2028, from January 1 to January 25, 2028, still belong to the Fire Goat year. The other 341 belong to the Earth Monkey.
Was Chinese New Year early in 2028?
Yes. January 26, 2028 is day 26 of the year. Between 1924 and 2030 the date moves between January 21 and February 20, and 2028 sits near the early end. Chinese New Year came 11 days earlier on the calendar than in 2027.
Why does the Earth 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. 2028 is one of those years, so the Earth Monkey year lasts 384 days, 19 more than a 365-day calendar year.
What element is the 2028 Monkey?
Earth, with Yang polarity. Earth adds steadiness, patience, and a love of routine. The Monkey years are 2028 (Earth), 2016 (Fire), 2004 (Wood), 1992 (Water), 1980 (Metal), 1968 (Earth), 1956 (Fire), 1944 (Wood), 1932 (Water).
Does the Earth wear down the Monkey in an Earth Monkey?
The year's stem is Earth and the Monkey's own branch is Metal. Earth feeds Metal in the cycle, so the element gives its energy to the animal. Traditionally that reads as generous and sometimes tiring: the element spends itself on the sign.
When does the Monkey come round again after 2028?
Your own year, the year your animal comes round again, repeats every 12 years: 2040 (Metal Monkey), 2052 (Water Monkey), 2064 (Wood Monkey), 2076 (Fire Monkey), 2088 (Earth Monkey).
Who is an Earth 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 an Earth 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. Fire feeds Earth in the Five Elements cycle, so the year tends to back you. 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. Fire feeds Earth in the Five Elements cycle, so the year tends to back you.
Updated November 2026
Know your Timing
Add your birth details once. Open Timing each morning to see how your day looks.
Download for iPhone