2004 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Monkey
甲申 · 猴 Hóu
2004 is the Year of the Wood Monkey. The Chinese year ran from Jan 22, 2004 to Feb 8, 2005, so anyone born in that span is a Wood Monkey. Born in January or early February? Lunar New Year fell on Jan 22, 2004, and earlier births belong to the Water Goat year.
- Monkey
- Wood
- Yang
Born in 2004?
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.
2004 at a Glance
- Animal
- Monkey 猴 hóu
- Element
- Wood
- Yin or Yang
- Yang
- Year name
- 甲申 · sound element 泉中水
- Begins
- Thursday, Jan 22, 2004
- Ends
- Feb 8, 2005
- Age in 2026
- 21 or 22
- Next Monkey year
- 2016
2004 Wood Monkey
In Chinese art a monkey often stands for promotion, because 猴 (hóu, monkey) sounds like 侯 (hóu, a noble title). A 2004 Monkey turns 22 in 2026.
The 2004 year began on Jan 22, 2004, so only the first three weeks of January 2004 belong to the Water Goat year. It ran until Feb 8, 2005, which takes in January and early February 2005.
Born in January or Early February 2004?
The Chinese year does not start on January 1. Lunar New Year 2004 was on Thursday, Jan 22, 2004, so births before that date belong to the year before.
| Born | Sign | Year name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 21, 2004 | Water Goat | 癸未 |
| Jan 22, 2004 to Feb 8, 2005 | Wood Monkey | 甲申 |
So someone born on Jan 21, 2004 is a Water Goat, and someone born on Jan 22, 2004 is a Wood Monkey. Dates are in China Standard Time.
What Is a Wood Monkey?
A Wood Monkey combines the Monkey with the element of the birth year. 2004 ends in 4, which gives Wood. The element repeats every 60 years, so other Wood Monkey years include 1944.
How Old Is a 2004 Monkey, and When Is the Next Monkey Year?
Someone born in 2004 turns 22 in 2026 and 23 in 2027. The last Monkey year was 1992, and the next is 2016. Your own sign year, called 本命年 (běnmìngnián), comes every 12 years. These are the Monkey years a 2004 Monkey lives through:
- 2004Wood MonkeyBornThis page
- 2016 Chinese zodiacFire MonkeyTurns 12
- 2028 Chinese zodiacEarth MonkeyTurns 24
2004 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 2004 Monkey in 2026 and 2027
How the traditional rules link the Monkey to the next two years, and how old a 2004 Monkey will be.
2026, the Fire Horse Year: Steady
Turns 22. No formal link to the Horse in the traditional rules.
2027, the Fire Goat Year: Steady
Turns 23. No formal link to the Goat in the traditional rules.
Nearby Years
The years just before and after 2004, and the other years of the decade.
- 2002 Chinese zodiacWater HorseFeb 12, 2002 to Jan 31, 2003
- 2003 Chinese zodiacWater GoatFeb 1, 2003 to Jan 21, 2004
- 2004Wood MonkeyJan 22, 2004 to Feb 8, 2005
- 2005 Chinese zodiacWood RoosterFeb 9, 2005 to Jan 28, 2006
- 2006 Chinese zodiacFire DogJan 29, 2006 to Feb 17, 2007
Want every year on one sheet? Download the Chinese zodiac years chart PDF (A4, 1900 to 2035, with Lunar New Year dates).
2000 Chinese zodiac2001 Chinese zodiac2002 Chinese zodiac2003 Chinese zodiac20042005 Chinese zodiac2006 Chinese zodiac2007 Chinese zodiac2008 Chinese zodiac2009 Chinese zodiacAll Chinese zodiac years
2004 Chinese Zodiac FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 2004?
2004 is the Year of the Wood Monkey. The Chinese year ran from Jan 22, 2004 to Feb 8, 2005.
What element is the 2004 Chinese zodiac?
Wood. A year's element follows its last digit: 4 gives Wood. The Monkey's own fixed element is Metal, which is a different thing.
What Chinese zodiac is January 2004?
Lunar New Year 2004 fell on Thursday, Jan 22, 2004. Born from January 1 to Jan 21, 2004, you are a Water Goat. From Jan 22, 2004, you are a Wood Monkey.
How old is someone born in 2004?
In 2026 they turn 22, or are 21 before their birthday. In 2027 they turn 23. Chinese tradition often counts age differently, adding one year at birth.
When is the next Monkey year after 2004?
2016, the Year of the Fire Monkey, begins on Feb 8, 2016.