1968 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Monkey
戊申 · 猴 Hóu
1968 is the Year of the Earth Monkey. The Chinese year ran from Jan 30, 1968 to Feb 16, 1969, so anyone born in that span is an Earth Monkey. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Jan 30, 1968, and earlier births belong to the Fire Goat year.
- Monkey
- Earth
- Yang
Born in 1968?
Enter your birth date to check, down to the exact Lunar New Year.
Month and day are optional. Add them if you were born in January or February. See January and February Chinese zodiac.
1968 at a Glance
- Animal
- Monkey 猴 hóu
- Element
- Earth
- Yin or Yang
- Yang
- Year name
- 戊申 · sound element 大驿土
- Begins
- Tuesday, Jan 30, 1968
- Ends
- Feb 16, 1969
- Age in 2026
- 57 or 58
- Next Monkey year
- 1980
1968 Earth Monkey, Guardian of Horses
An old Chinese belief held that keeping a monkey in a stable kept horses healthy. Journey to the West borrows the idea when the Jade Emperor makes the Monkey King keeper of the heavenly horses.
The 1968 year started on Jan 30, 1968 and ran to Feb 16, 1969, so a 1969 birthday before mid-February is still an Earth Monkey. 1968 Monkeys turn 58 in 2026.
Born in January or Early February 1968?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 1968 was on Tuesday, Jan 30, 1968, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 29, 1968 | Fire Goat | 丁未 |
| Jan 30, 1968 to Feb 16, 1969 | Earth Monkey | 戊申 |
So someone born on Jan 29, 1968 is a Fire Goat, and someone born on Jan 30, 1968 is an Earth Monkey. Dates are in China Standard Time.
What Is an Earth Monkey?
An Earth Monkey combines the Monkey with the element of the birth year. 1968 ends in 8, which gives Earth. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Earth Monkey years include 1908 and 2028.
How Old Is a 1968 Monkey, and When Is the Next Monkey Year?
Someone born in 1968 turns 58 in 2026 and 59 in 2027. The last Monkey year was 1956, and the next is 1980. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Monkey years a 1968 Monkey lives through:
- 1968Earth MonkeyBornThis page
- 1980 Chinese zodiacMetal MonkeyTurns 12
- 1992 Chinese zodiacWater MonkeyTurns 24
- 2004 Chinese zodiacWood MonkeyTurns 36
- 2016 Chinese zodiacFire MonkeyTurns 48
- 2028 Chinese zodiacEarth MonkeyTurns 60 · full cycle (花甲)
1968 Monkey Compatibility: Best and Hardest Matches
Compatibility follows the animal, not the element. Tradition favors the signs in the Monkey's trine group and its Secret Friend, and is cautious about the opposite sign and the harm pair.
The 1968 Monkey in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Monkey to the next two years, and how old a 1968 Monkey will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Steady
Turns 58. No formal link to the Horse in the traditional rules.
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Steady
Turns 59. No formal link to the Goat in the traditional rules.
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 1968, and the other years of the decade.
- 1966 Chinese zodiacFire HorseJan 21, 1966 to Feb 8, 1967
- 1967 Chinese zodiacFire GoatFeb 9, 1967 to Jan 29, 1968
- 1968Earth MonkeyJan 30, 1968 to Feb 16, 1969
- 1969 Chinese zodiacEarth RoosterFeb 17, 1969 to Feb 5, 1970
- 1970 Chinese zodiacMetal DogFeb 6, 1970 to Jan 26, 1971
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
1960 Chinese zodiac1961 Chinese zodiac1962 Chinese zodiac1963 Chinese zodiac1964 Chinese zodiac1965 Chinese zodiac1966 Chinese zodiac1967 Chinese zodiac19681969 Chinese zodiacAll Chinese zodiac years
1968 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 1968?
1968 is the Year of the Earth Monkey. The Chinese year ran from Jan 30, 1968 to Feb 16, 1969.
What element is the 1968 Chinese zodiac?
Earth. A year's element follows its last digit: 8 gives Earth. The Monkey's own fixed element is Metal, which is a different thing.
What Chinese zodiac is January 1968?
Lunar New Year 1968 fell on Tuesday, Jan 30, 1968. Born from January 1 to Jan 29, 1968, you are a Fire Goat. From Jan 30, 1968, you are an Earth Monkey.
How old is someone born in 1968?
In 2026 they turn 58, or are 57 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 59. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Monkey year after 1968?
1980, the Year of the Metal Monkey, begins on Feb 16, 1980.