Chinese zodiac Monkey
The ninth sign and the quickest mind: every Monkey year, five kinds of Monkey, and who it pairs with.
Monkey
01 · THE SIGN
Why the Monkey is the sign of wit
The Monkey is the ninth sign, and Chinese culture gives it the most famous character in its literature: the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, of the novel Journey to the West. He is brilliant, mischievous, impossible to pin down, and he gets into the most trouble because he is the cleverest one in the room. The sign carries that image: curious, inventive, and always one idea ahead.
The Monkey's branch, Shen, covers 3 to 5 pm, and its element is Metal. Metal is the element of precision and edge, and it fits the sign: a quick, bright, restless mind with a sharp tongue and a talent for solving problems nobody else could solve.
The Monkey on the wheel
- Triple harmony: Rat and Dragon
- Secret friend: Snake
- Clash: Tiger
- Place
- 9 of 12
- Branch
- Shen
- Hours
- 3 to 5 pm
- Polarity
- Yang
- Own element
- Metal
- Month
- early August to early September
02 · YEARS
Every Monkey year
You are a Monkey if you were born in one of these Chinese years. Each starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born in January or February? Check the start date for your year. The other eleven animals are on the Chinese zodiac overview.
03 · ELEMENTS
The five kinds of Monkey
Every Monkey carries two elements. The sign itself is Metal, fixed, because the Monkey's earthly branch (Shen) belongs to Metal. The year then adds a second element, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water. That second element is what makes a 1992 Monkey different from a 2004 Monkey, even though both are the same animal.
Wood Monkey
2004 · 1944
The Wood Monkey is the most inventive. Wood adds growth and generosity, so this Monkey shares what it knows and is a gifted teacher.
Fire Monkey
2016 · 1956
The Fire Monkey is the most dazzling. Fire gives the Monkey heat and charisma, so this Monkey is bold, funny, and magnetic. It also runs out of patience first.
Earth Monkey
2028 · 1968
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.
Metal Monkey
1980
The Metal Monkey is the sharpest. Metal on Metal doubles the precision, which means a razor mind, a critical eye, and very little tolerance for sloppy work.
Water Monkey
1992 · 1932
The Water Monkey is the most adaptable. Water adds flow and intuition, so this Monkey reads situations fast and slips through them. It is clever and hard to catch.
04 · TRAITS
What the tradition says about the Monkey
Strengths
- Quick learner, curious about almost everything.
- Inventive. A Monkey solves problems others have given up on.
- Funny, charming, and good company.
- Adaptable, and comfortable with change.
- Strong at spotting patterns and shortcuts.
Blind spots
- Gets bored fast, and drops a project when it stops being new.
- Cuts corners and can be careless with detail.
- Quick-tongued, and sometimes cuts too deep.
- Restless, and finds routine heavy.
- Trusts its own cleverness more than other people's advice.
05 · COMPATIBILITY
Monkey compatibility
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. Every tie below comes from where the two animals sit on the zodiac wheel.
- Triple harmonyRat and Dragon
- The strongest traditional match. You want the same things and move at the same speed.
- Secret friendSnake
- A balancing pair. Each one fills in what the other lacks.
- ClashTiger
- Opposite on the wheel. Strong pull and plenty of friction.
- HarmPig
- Small misreadings that add up. Say things out loud.
- No special tieOx, Rabbit, Horse, Goat, Rooster and Dog
- No special tie in either direction. The two people matter more than the signs.
06 · 2026 AND 2027
The Monkey in 2026 and 2027
2026 is a Fire Horse year and 2027 a Fire Goat year. Both carry Fire, so the animal sets the tone and the element sets the pace.
2026
Fire Horse year
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.
2027
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.
How a Fire year meets each kind of Monkey
- Wood Monkey
- Wood feeds Fire, so the Wood Monkey shares ideas and burns bright. Finish one before the next.
- Fire Monkey
- Fire meets Fire. The Fire Monkey dazzles and runs out of patience first. Keep deadlines short.
- Earth Monkey
- Fire feeds Earth, so the Earth Monkey is supported. This is a good year to finish things.
- Metal Monkey
- Fire melts Metal, which hits the Metal Monkey hardest. Slow down and choose the one problem to solve.
- Water Monkey
- Water meets Fire head on. The Water Monkey is the most agile. Slip through the pressure.
Your sign is where it starts
Your Annual Report
A 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.
07 · FAMOUS
Famous Monkeys
Counted with the same Chinese New Year table as this page, so early-year birthdays land in the right sign.
- Cardi B · Water Monkey, October 11, 1992
- Kim Kardashian · Metal Monkey, October 21, 1980
- Selena Gomez · Water Monkey, July 22, 1992
- Miley Cyrus · Water Monkey, November 23, 1992
- Charli XCX · Water Monkey, August 2, 1992
- Millie Bobby Brown · Wood Monkey, February 19, 2004
- Ryan Gosling · Metal Monkey, November 12, 1980
- Joe Keery · Water Monkey, April 24, 1992
- Anthony Bourdain · Fire Monkey, June 25, 1956
- Elizabeth Taylor · Water Monkey, February 27, 1932
- Bobby Brown · Earth Monkey, February 5, 1969
- Channing Tatum · Metal Monkey, April 26, 1980
08 · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What years are Monkey years?
2028, 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956, 1944, 1932. Each Monkey year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January, so a January or February birthday may belong to the animal before.
What element is the Monkey?
Every Monkey carries two elements. The sign itself is Metal, fixed, because the Monkey's earthly branch (Shen) belongs to Metal. The year then adds a second element, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water. That second element is what makes a 1992 Monkey different from a 2004 Monkey, even though both are the same animal.
Who is the Monkey compatible with?
Rat and Dragon are in the same triple harmony, the strongest traditional match. Snake is the secret friend. Tiger is the traditional clash. Each tie comes from where the two animals sit on the zodiac wheel.
Who is the Monkey King?
Sun Wukong is the hero of the 16th-century novel Journey to the West. He is a clever, rebellious monkey with magical powers, and he is the best-known monkey in Chinese culture. He helps explain why the Monkey sign is read as quick-witted and hard to contain.
Is the Monkey a trickster sign?
Tradition reads the Monkey as inventive and playful, with a talent for clever solutions. That reputation has a lighter side, wit and humour, and a harder one, a habit of cutting corners.
How do I know if I am a Monkey?
Use your Chinese year, not your calendar year. If you were born in January or February, check the date of Chinese New Year in your birth year: before it, you belong to the animal of the year before. The Chinese zodiac calculator on this site does the check for you.
Where does the Chinese zodiac come from?
It is one of the oldest ways people have kept time. The ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches were already counting days on Shang dynasty oracle bones more than 3,000 years ago. The earliest written pairings of the twelve branches with animals appear on bamboo slips from the Qin dynasty, over 2,200 years old. Stems and branches together make a 60-year cycle, and the twelve-animal wheel travelled across East Asia, where Vietnam swaps the Rabbit for a Cat. Legend gives it a story: the Jade Emperor called a great race, and the Rat won by riding on the Ox's back, which is why the Rat opens the wheel. It is a living tradition, read here as a mirror for reflection.
Updated November 2026
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