What Chinese zodiac is 1980?
Year of the Metal Monkey庚申 · Geng Shen · Pomegranate Wood
1980 is the Year of the Metal Monkey — 庚申 (Geng Shen) in the Chinese calendar. The heavenly stem 庚 belongs to Metal, and the year's nayin ("sound") element is Pomegranate Wood.
Animal sign · Stem-branch
- Animal sign
- Monkey
- Stem-branch
- 庚申 (Geng Shen)
- Element (heavenly stem)
- 庚 · Metal
- Nayin element
- Pomegranate Wood · Wood
Chinese New Year · Start of Spring (Lichun)
- Chinese New Year
- Feb 16, 1980
- Start of Spring (Lichun)
- Feb 5, 1980
- This Monkey year
- Feb 16, 1980 – Feb 4, 1981
Born in January or February 1980?
| Born | By Chinese New Year (common use) | By Start of Spring (BaZi) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 – Feb 4 | Goat | Goat |
| Feb 5 – Feb 15 | Goat | Monkey |
| Feb 16 – Dec 31 | Monkey | Monkey |
Most people switch animals at Chinese New Year; BaZi (Four Pillars) uses Start of Spring as the year boundary, so early-year birthdays can have two answers. Not sure? A free BaZi chart shows your exact year pillar.
How old is someone born in 1980?
- In 2026
- 46 after their birthday (45 before)
- East Asian age (xusui)
- 47 after Chinese New Year
Monkey return years (benmingnian)
- 2004 (age 24)
- 2016 (age 36)
- 2028 (age 48)
- 2040 (age 60)
A benmingnian is a year that shares your birth animal; it comes round every 12 years. Wearing red is a folk custom for it — tradition, not something to worry about.
Which signs get along with the Monkey?
- Trine (san he)
- Secret friend (liu he)
- Clash (chong)
These are traditional branch relations, shared as culture — they don't decide whether two people get along. Tap one for the full match.
Metal Monkey personality
The Metal element gives this Monkey its own flavor. Metal is about resolve: traditionally a Metal year adds determination, clear principles and high standards.
In the late-afternoon hour of Shen, the liveliest corner of the forest belongs to the monkeys. People born in the Year of the Monkey are quick, full of ideas and fast learners who love novelty and challenge. With you around, even a hard problem becomes an interesting puzzle.
- Strengths
- Clever, funny, adaptable
- Watch for
- A restless mind can make it hard to sit still, and you sometimes make things look too easy
- In love
- Fun and full of surprises, you need someone who can keep up with your thinking.
- At work
- You shine at problem-solving and new ideas. The more things change, the more at home you are.
The Monkey in 2027, Year of the Fire Goat
Ideas everywhere, many things bloom
Monkey and Goat form no strong clash or harmony, so tradition reads 2027 as a steady year. Monkeys are clever and curious; it's a great year to explore new fields and learn new things. Your ideas will energize the people around you.
Creative work and problem-solving suit you. Having many ideas is a strength; pick the best one and see it through.
Traditional views shared as culture and for fun — not a prediction or advice.
FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 1980?
1980 is the Year of the Monkey (庚申, Geng Shen). This Monkey year runs from Feb 16, 1980 (Chinese New Year) to Feb 4, 1981.
What is my sign if I was born in January 1980?
Born before Feb 16, 1980? By the usual Chinese New Year rule you belong to 1979, the Year of the Goat. BaZi switches at Start of Spring (Feb 5), so a birthday before that also gets the 己未 year pillar.
What element is a 1980 Monkey?
By the heavenly stem 庚, 1980 is a Metal Monkey year. By the older nayin system, 庚申 is "Pomegranate Wood". Neither is good or bad — your personal elements come from the full BaZi chart.
How old is someone born in 1980 in 2026?
46 after their birthday in 2026; by East Asian reckoning (xusui) they are 47 after Chinese New Year.
When is the next Year of the Monkey?
The next Year of the Monkey is 2028.
Make it about you
Your Chinese zodiac only looks at your birth year. Enter your date and hour of birth for a free BaZi chart and see your own chart and yearly cycles.
Other Monkey years
Nearby years
Animal signs, stem-branches and nayin follow the traditional Chinese calendar; Chinese New Year and Start of Spring dates are Beijing time, computed with lunar-javascript. Traditional culture, for reference only.