Year of the Monkey: Fortune, Personality, Horoscope (2025)
Monkey is the 9th animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs, coming after the Goat and before the Rooster. Recent years of the Goat include 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956, and 1944, with the next Monkey year in 2028 (Year of the Earth Monkey). It is associated with the earthly branch sign shen.
In Chinese astrology, Monkey is intelligent, especially in analyzing and solving a problem. They excel at abstract thinking, as well as adapting to new people, tasks, and even environments. These master shapeshifters can fit in any time, anywhere.
Chinese Zodiac Years for Monkey
Based on the lunar Chinese calendar—as are many things in Chinese culture—the 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs do not correspond perfectly with the time of the Gregorian calendar (which is a solar calendar rather than a lunar calendar). Use the calculator below to calculate your zodiac sign.
Chinese zodiac calculator
Curious, resourceful, and quick-witted, Rat’s natural charm opens doors to opportunity. Your dynamic personality... more
If you were born in January or February, pay close attention to the Chinese New Year start date when finding your zodiac sign, as it may be from the previous year (use the chart below).
Chart of Years, Dates, and Elements for Monkey Zodiac Signs
Monkey Year | Lunar Year Start Date | Lunar Year End Date | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
1920 | February 20, 1920 | February 7, 1921 | Metal |
1932 | February 6, 1932 | January 25, 1933 | Water |
1944 | January 25, 1944 | February 12, 1945 | Wood |
1956 | February 12, 1956 | January 30, 1957 | Fire |
1968 | January 30, 1968 | February 16, 1969 | Earth |
1980 | February 16, 1980 | February 4, 1981 | Metal |
1992 | February 4, 1992 | January 22, 1993 | Water |
2004 | January 22, 2004 | February 8, 2005 | Wood |
2016 | February 8, 2016 | January 27, 2017 | Fire |
2028 | January 26, 2028 | February 12, 2029 | Earth |
Monkey’s 2025 Horoscope (Year of the Snake)
2025 is a year of balancing opportunities and potential challenges for Monkeys. Focus on maintaining strong relationships, both personally and professionally, and embrace learning experiences to further your growth and success.
Read more: Monkey’s 2025 Horoscope (Love, Career, Wealth, Health)
Personality Traits of Monkey Signs
It seems Monkey can always come up with the most innovative ideas, making many envious or resentful. Their creativity is synonymous with their unpredictability, so you never know what to expect with this mercurial sign. In terms of yin yang, Monkeys are yang.
Monkeys are social—they’ll grow despondent if left alone for too long. As such, they need sounding boards in their friends and colleagues when they’re creating, as opposed to being locked away on their own.
In a developed Monkey, you’ll find such forward-thinking spirituality that they seem almost able to predict the future. That’s due to their ability to observe minute changes, make accurate judgments, and take appropriate actions.
This is a very practical sign, and their calculations often involve numbers, profits and losses, and the accumulation of wealth. With this advantage in intelligence, less evolved Monkeys can often feel rather superior to others.
Monkey Strengths
Monkey is one of the most talented zodiacs, possessing a sharpness of mind that’s rivaled by none. They’re active, energetic, and intelligent, as well as sophisticated socially, integrating into any group without effort.
Monkey people are such fun to be around, but they’ll truly shine when sudden changes are afoot, and they reveal themselves to be quick adapters with the ability to adjust to and make use of everything.
Monkey Weaknesses
Monkey’s sharp intellect has also made them vain and condescending, and they lack patience with anything that requires effort. Despite their talent, Monkeys may end up not achieving much in life because of this weakness.
They often think they can pull a fast one over others, but what they don’t know is that others may have perceived their tricks all along and are writing them off as hypocritical and arrogant.
Monkey Zodiacs and the Five Elements Theory
The Chinese Five Elements Theory assigns one of the five elements—Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth—to each year, in addition to the zodiacs. So Monkeys born in different years will have different personalities.
Lucky (and Unlucky) Things for Monkeys
Monkey is a metal zodiac, so the colors of gold and white are fortunate, as are 2 and 3, and southeast. Purple and black, the number 1, will bring ill luck and should be avoided.
In Chinese culture, your Ben Ming Nian, or Chinese zodiac birth year, is considered unlucky as well, so be ready to don the color red throughout the Year of the Monkey to help ward off possible bad fortune.
Lucky Things
Lucky numbers: 2, 3
Lucky colors: Gold, White
Lucky directions: Southeast
Lucky flowers: Chrysanthemum
Unlucky Things
Unlucky numbers: 1
Unlucky colors: Purple, Black
Unlucky directions: Northeast
Love and Compatibility for Monkeys
Those born in years of the Monkey may seem vain on the surface and appear to care too much about their potential partner’s appearance, but inside, they’re actually yearning for deep and earth-shattering love compatibility.
With the right partner, Monkeys will develop a mature depth to their character, as if with the assurance of true love, they’re finally able to discard the more changeable and capricious aspects of their personality.
❤️ Best Match: Monkey and Rat
Rat is steady, whereas Monkey is mercurial, but that’s what attracts them to each other. As their relationship deepens, however, these two may well find that they have more in common than at first glance.
Rat doesn’t want every day to be the same, although that’s exactly what they’d build if left to their own devices, while Monkey sometimes cannot execute their grand plans. Well, no need to look further here!
❤️ Best Match: Monkey and Dragon
It takes a spirited zodiac like Monkey to stand up to Dragon’s domineering ways because, goodness, does Monkey know how to rein Dragon in! With Monkey’s expert hand, Dragon can be almost as agreeable as Rabbit.
That’s only where the couple’s harmonious home life is concerned because both partners will thrive and succeed out in the world in their different ways. Monkey will gain insight into the bigger picture they often lack.
❤️ Best Match: Monkey and Snake
Monkey and Snake are certainly a match on the outside since both are stylish and together make a dashing couple. But that’s actually the least they have in common and find intriguing in their partner.
Monkey has that lively zest for life that Snake secretly craves, while Snake’s calm and elegant persona is downright alluring to Monkey. Soon enough, their glitzy attraction to each other will deepen into true love.
Worst Matches: Tiger, Pig
Monkey and Tiger: This is a terrible pairing characterized by power plays from both sides. They’re certainly an ambitious couple, but both are more concerned with gaining the upper hand than working toward a common goal aspiration.
Monkey wants to conquer Tiger and usually succeeds in this pairing, while Tiger, who’s usually confident, may become uncertain of their own abilities and lose themselves—a sad sight to witness in any zodiac sign.
Monkey and Pig: This is a damaging aspect for both zodiac signs, but they seem to strike gold after they marry, which leads them to stay together. They’ll soon discover that they can’t be themselves around their partner.
Monkey will become unscrupulous in reaching their goals in this relationship, which will soon make Monkey and Pig a couple that looks enviable and successful on the outside—but miserable and inauthentic on the inside.
Careers Fit for the Chinese Zodiac Monkey
Monkeys are life-long learners, although they may not get to the bottom of something or master a skill before something else catches their attention. Nonetheless, it’s enough for Monkeys to excel in almost any field.
That said, Monkeys must care about their work, in which case their sharp intellect will be paired with relentless dedication and tenacity comparable to Oxen, which will take them all the way to the finish line.
They’re quick and able to think under pressure, possibly even thriving under scrutiny. But if Monkeys are required to toil away patiently for many years, let’s just say the outcome won’t be favorable to anyone.
Best careers for Monkeys
Trader
Politician
Diplomat
Journalist
Worst careers for Monkeys
Professor
Doctor
Financier
Librarian
Teacher
Health and Lifestyle Advice for Monkeys
Monkeys are so energetic that they can be exhausting to others sometimes, as well as to their own health; their bodies may not be able to go as far as their energetic spirit requires.
On the one hand, that may make them nervous or jumpy or, on the other, push themselves beyond exhaustion. Monkeys also have the tendency to eat indiscriminately, leading to digestive trouble further down the line.
Monkey and the 12 Zodiac Animals (Origin Story)
The Chinese culture has passed down a variety of origin stories and myths to explain how the 12 zodiac animals were selected and why each is in its current place. Monkey is 9th; how did that happen?
One of the legends tells the story of a race across a celestial river, which the Jade Emperor promised would decide which animals would be honored as a zodiac sign. Monkey is among the contestants.
Monkey didn’t swim well, but cleverly, it found trees planted on the riverbank, so that by swinging from vine to vine, it was able to keep up with better swimmers and managed to take 9th place.
Famous People Born in the Year of the Monkey
People born in the Chinese Year of the Monkey are so naturally clever and gifted, it’s no wonder they’ve been the movers and shakers of the world both in history and in the present!
Tom Hanks: July 9, 1956, Fire Monkey
Miley Cyrus: November 23, 1992, Water Monkey
Michael Douglas: September 25, 1944, Wood Monkey
Will Smith: September 25, 1968, Earth Monkey
Kim Kardashian, October 21, 1980, Metal Monkey
Leonardo da Vinci: April 15, 1452, Water Monkey
Hugh Jackman: October 12, 1968, Earth Monkey
Selena Gomez: July 22, 1992, Water Monkey