Chinese zodiac · 申 · shēn
Year of the Monkey
Quick answer
Recent Monkey years: 1992, 2004, and 2016; the next begins in 2028. Each one starts at Lunar New Year, between January 21 and February 20, so a birthday early in the year may belong to the year before. In the classical tables the best matches for the Monkey are Snake (six harmony) and Rat and Dragon (three harmony), and its clash is Tiger.
Earthly branch
申 · shēn
Fixed element
Metal
Yin or yang
Yang
Double hour (時辰)
15:00–17:00
Personality
The Monkey is the cycle’s inventor and comedian, remembered in Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of Journey to the West. Monkey people are often described as clever, curious and endlessly inventive.
申 is mid-afternoon and the metal of early autumn. Monkeys tend to solve problems sideways, learn fast and keep the people around them entertained.
Strengths
- Clever and inventive
- A curious learner
- Funny and lively
- Adapts fast
Growing edges
A quick mind gets bored quickly. Monkeys grow by seeing a project through after the fun part is over.
Love and friendship
Monkeys flirt with wit and play. They tend to bond with people who keep them curious and laugh with them, and they show loyalty in lively, inventive ways.
Compatibility
Chinese astrology pairs the twelve branches in a few classical ways. They describe tendencies between birth years, never a verdict on two real people: a full chart, and the people themselves, say much more.
Six harmony (六合)
Branches that combine as a pair. Traditionally the easiest, most complementary bond.
Animals four years apart that together form a frame of water. Traditionally read as kindred spirits and natural allies.
Clash (六沖)
The animal six years away, opposite on the circle. Traditionally read as different rhythms: friction for some pairs, a useful balance for others.
Harm (六害)
A subtler mismatch in the classical tables, often read as small misunderstandings that ask for patience.
Monkey years, 1900–2099
Each year runs from Lunar New Year to the eve of the next. Its element comes from the year’s heavenly stem, so the same element and animal return every sixty years.
| Year | Dates | Stem and branch |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | Feb 2, 1908 – Jan 21, 1909Earth · Yang | 戊申wù shēn |
| 1920 | Feb 20, 1920 – Feb 7, 1921Metal · Yang | 庚申gēng shēn |
| 1932 | Feb 6, 1932 – Jan 25, 1933Water · Yang | 壬申rén shēn |
| 1944 | Jan 25, 1944 – Feb 12, 1945Wood · Yang | 甲申jiǎ shēn |
| 1956 | Feb 12, 1956 – Jan 30, 1957Fire · Yang | 丙申bǐng shēn |
| 1968 | Jan 30, 1968 – Feb 16, 1969Earth · Yang | 戊申wù shēn |
| 1980 | Feb 16, 1980 – Feb 4, 1981Metal · Yang | 庚申gēng shēn |
| 1992 | Feb 4, 1992 – Jan 22, 1993Water · Yang | 壬申rén shēn |
| 2004 | Jan 22, 2004 – Feb 8, 2005Wood · Yang | 甲申jiǎ shēn |
| 2016 | Feb 8, 2016 – Jan 27, 2017Fire · Yang | 丙申bǐng shēn |
| 2028 | Jan 26, 2028 – Feb 12, 2029Earth · Yang | 戊申wù shēn |
| 2040 | Feb 12, 2040 – Jan 31, 2041Metal · Yang | 庚申gēng shēn |
| 2052 | Feb 1, 2052 – Feb 18, 2053Water · Yang | 壬申rén shēn |
| 2064 | Feb 17, 2064 – Feb 4, 2065Wood · Yang | 甲申jiǎ shēn |
| 2076 | Feb 5, 2076 – Jan 23, 2077Fire · Yang | 丙申bǐng shēn |
| 2088 | Jan 24, 2088 – Feb 9, 2089Earth · Yang | 戊申wù shēn |
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