Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Yin-yang: Yang
Symbolic qualities
- clever
- playful
- inventive
- adaptable
The Monkey is the symbol of intelligence that learns through play and adapts quickly. It finds inventive answers to problems and lifts the mood. Its shadow side is impatience and a slide into cunning.
The outward, initiating, active side. In yang years the element is expressed in a more visible, active way.
Cultural note
The monkey brings to mind Sun Wukong, the mischievous and gifted hero of the 16th-century novel Journey to the West. That hero made the monkey a character associated with wit, rebellion and change.
Things you might reflect on
- What do you see if you look at a problem from an angle you have never tried?
- How much room do play and curiosity take up in your life?
- For whose benefit would you most like to use your wit?
Years it falls on
Each year begins at Lunar New Year; the date varies between 21 January and 20 February.
- 1908 · Earth · 2 February 1908
- 1920 · Metal · 20 February 1920
- 1932 · Water · 6 February 1932
- 1944 · Wood · 25 January 1944
- 1956 · Fire · 12 February 1956
- 1968 · Earth · 30 January 1968
- 1980 · Metal · 16 February 1980
- 1992 · Water · 4 February 1992
- 2004 · Wood · 22 January 2004
- 2016 · Fire · 8 February 2016
- 2028 · Earth · 26 January 2028
- 2040 · Metal · 12 February 2040
- 2052 · Water · 1 February 2052
- 2064 · Wood · 17 February 2064
- 2076 · Fire · 5 February 2076
- 2088 · Earth · 24 January 2088
- 2100 · Metal · 9 February 2100
This animal with the five elements
In the tradition the year's element adds a tone to the animal's character. It is a cultural reading and does not define a person.
- Wood Monkey
- Metal trims wood: wit cuts and sorts the detail. A solution-focused, inventive and flexible monkey.
- Fire Monkey
- Fire melts and shapes metal: playfulness and passion join. A transforming but sometimes scattered energy.
- Earth Monkey
- Earth gives birth to metal: wit settles on firm ground. It produces practical solutions and is more patient.
- Metal Monkey
- The monkey doubled in its own element: sharp, resolute and perfectionist. Remembering flexibility does it good.
- Water Monkey
- Metal gives birth to water: wit is fluid and intuitive. A monkey who likes to share, whose ideas flow.
The five elements
- Wood
- Growth, flexibility and generosity. Wood symbolises the energy that puts out new shoots and makes room for others.
- Fire
- Passion, warmth and visibility. Fire symbolises the energy that spreads enthusiasm but needs to be kept in balance.
- Earth
- Balance, patience and nourishment. Earth symbolises the energy that holds things together and gives a sense of security.
- Metal
- Clarity, resolve and essence. Metal symbolises the energy that clears away the unnecessary and polishes what matters.
- Water
- Intuition, adaptability and depth. Water symbolises the energy that finds its way by flowing around obstacles.
The twelve animals
For entertainment and self-reflection. Year animals are presented as cultural history and character symbolism; they do not tell you what a year holds.
The images on this page were generated with AI.