Chinese zodiac · Year of the Monkey
The Metal Monkey: 1980, 2040, 2100
庚申 · Geng shēn · Yang Metal stem on the Metal branch
A Metal Monkey year pairs the Heavenly Stem 庚 (Geng, yang Metal) with the Earthly Branch 申 (shēn, the Monkey). The pair recurs every sixty years, so in the range AsterNym covers the Metal Monkey years are 1980, 2040, 2100. The animal is the same each time; the stem is what makes a Metal Monkey different from a Wood Monkey or a Fire Monkey. The popular zodiac begins each of these years at Lunar New Year and BaZi begins it at Li Chun, so both boundaries are given below for every year.
What a Metal Monkey is like
Popular Chinese zodiac tradition. For reflection, not prediction.
The Metal Monkey is strong-willed and independent, sharp in business and slow to trust.
The Metal Monkey of 1980 is strong-willed and independent, and the tradition's shrewd, slow-to-trust Monkey fits the year's turn toward markets.
In BaZi terms the Metal stem sits on a Metal branch, the same element twice. Practitioners read a matched pair as a year with one clear voice: the Monkey's nature amplified rather than argued with, strong in its own direction and short of counterweight. Whatever the Monkey does, this year does more of it.
The rest of the Monkey’s character, in love, at work and the growing edge, is on the Year of the Monkey page.
Metal Monkey years and when each begins
The popular zodiac year begins at Lunar New Year; BaZi begins it at Li Chun, the start of spring. Both dates are given so a birth between them can be placed in either system.
| Year | Lunar New Year (popular zodiac) | Ends | Li Chun (BaZi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 16 February 1980 | 4 February 1981 | 5 February 1980 |
| 2040 | 12 February 2040 | 31 January 2041 | 4 February 2040 |
| 2100 | outside the table | … | 4 February 2100 |
The next Metal Monkey year is 2040. Check any birthday against the boundary with the finder.
Famous Metal Monkeys
Public birth records, assigned by the Lunar New Year boundary.
Born in 1980
- Rishi SunakFormer Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2022 to 2024 and Leader of the Conservative Party
- Christina AguileraAmerican singer, songwriter and actress
- Chris PineAmerican actor
- RonaldinhoBrazilian associaton fooball player
- Kim KardashianAmerican media personality, businesswoman, model and actress
- Justin TimberlakeAmerican singer and actor
Common questions
- When does the Year of the Metal Monkey start?
- The 1980 Metal Monkey year began at Lunar New Year on 16 February 1980 and ran to 4 February 1981. The 2040 Metal Monkey year began at Lunar New Year on 12 February 2040 and ran to 31 January 2041. 2100 is outside AsterNym's Lunar New Year table. BaZi turns the year at Li Chun instead (1980: 5 February 1980; 2040: 4 February 2040; 2100: 4 February 2100), so a birth between the two dates carries different year animals in the two systems.
- What is a Metal Monkey personality?
- The Metal Monkey is strong-willed and independent, sharp in business and slow to trust. In BaZi terms the Metal stem sits on a Metal branch, the same element twice. Practitioners read a matched pair as a year with one clear voice: the Monkey's nature amplified rather than argued with, strong in its own direction and short of counterweight. Whatever the Monkey does, this year does more of it.
- When is the next Metal Monkey year?
- 2040. The pair of stem 庚 and branch 申 recurs every sixty years.