1980 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Monkey
庚申 · 猴 Hóu
1980 is the Year of the Metal Monkey. The Chinese year ran from Feb 16, 1980 to Feb 4, 1981, so anyone born in that span is a Metal Monkey. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Feb 16, 1980, and earlier births belong to the Earth Goat year.
- Monkey
- Metal
- Yang
Born in 1980?
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.
1980 at a Glance
- Animal
- Monkey 猴 hóu
- Element
- Metal
- Yin or Yang
- Yang
- Year name
- 庚申 · sound element 石榴木
- Begins
- Saturday, Feb 16, 1980
- Ends
- Feb 4, 1981
- Age in 2026
- 45 or 46
- Next Monkey year
- 1992
1980 Metal Monkey: A Mid-February Start
The 1980 Monkey year did not begin until Feb 16, 1980. Anyone born between New Year’s Day and Feb 15, 1980 is an Earth Goat, so check the date before calling a 1980 baby a Monkey.
Its year name 庚申 has the sound element 石榴木, “pomegranate wood.” In Chinese tradition the many-seeded pomegranate stands for a big family. 1980 Monkeys turn 46 in 2026.
Born in January or Early February 1980?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 1980 was on Saturday, Feb 16, 1980, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Feb 15, 1980 | Earth Goat | 己未 |
| Feb 16, 1980 to Feb 4, 1981 | Metal Monkey | 庚申 |
So someone born on Feb 15, 1980 is an Earth Goat, and someone born on Feb 16, 1980 is a Metal Monkey. Dates are in China Standard Time.
What Is a Metal Monkey?
A Metal Monkey combines the Monkey with the element of the birth year. 1980 ends in 0, which gives Metal. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Metal Monkey years include 1920.
How Old Is a 1980 Monkey, and When Is the Next Monkey Year?
Someone born in 1980 turns 46 in 2026 and 47 in 2027. The last Monkey year was 1968, and the next is 1992. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Monkey years a 1980 Monkey lives through:
- 1980Metal MonkeyBornThis page
- 1992 Chinese zodiacWater MonkeyTurns 12
- 2004 Chinese zodiacWood MonkeyTurns 24
- 2016 Chinese zodiacFire MonkeyTurns 36
- 2028 Chinese zodiacEarth MonkeyTurns 48
1980 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 1980 Monkey in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Monkey to the next two years, and how old a 1980 Monkey will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Steady
Turns 46. No formal link to the Horse in the traditional rules.
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Steady
Turns 47. No formal link to the Goat in the traditional rules.
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 1980, and the other years of the decade.
- 1978 Chinese zodiacEarth HorseFeb 7, 1978 to Jan 27, 1979
- 1979 Chinese zodiacEarth GoatJan 28, 1979 to Feb 15, 1980
- 1980Metal MonkeyFeb 16, 1980 to Feb 4, 1981
- 1981 Chinese zodiacMetal RoosterFeb 5, 1981 to Jan 24, 1982
- 1982 Chinese zodiacWater DogJan 25, 1982 to Feb 12, 1983
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
19801981 Chinese zodiac1982 Chinese zodiac1983 Chinese zodiac1984 Chinese zodiac1985 Chinese zodiac1986 Chinese zodiac1987 Chinese zodiac1988 Chinese zodiac1989 Chinese zodiacAll Chinese zodiac years
1980 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 1980?
1980 is the Year of the Metal Monkey. The Chinese year ran from Feb 16, 1980 to Feb 4, 1981.
What element is the 1980 Chinese zodiac?
Metal. A year's element follows its last digit: 0 gives Metal. The Monkey's own fixed element is Metal, which is a different thing.
What Chinese zodiac is January 1980?
Lunar New Year 1980 fell on Saturday, Feb 16, 1980. Born from January 1 to Feb 15, 1980, you are an Earth Goat. From Feb 16, 1980, you are a Metal Monkey.
How old is someone born in 1980?
In 2026 they turn 46, or are 45 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 47. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Monkey year after 1980?
1992, the Year of the Water Monkey, begins on Feb 4, 1992.