Born in 1980: the Monkey

1980 is a yang year, a Metal Monkey. In the traditional calendar it carries the two-part name 庚申 (gēngshēn), year 57 of the 60-year cycle. The Metal element adds a determined, disciplined and self-reliant streak to the Monkey's base character (clever, playful, curious), and this is the active, outgoing half of the cycle.

The 1980 lunar year ran from February 16, 1980 up to the day before Chinese New Year 1981 (February 5, 1981). If you were born on or after February 16, 1980 you are a Monkey; if you were born earlier in 1980, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Goat. Someone born in 1980 turns 46 in 2026 (or 45 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 1980's Chinese New Year fell on a Saturday, and that lunar year ran 355 days — an ordinary 12-month lunar year.

What the Metal element adds

Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve. A Metal year sharpens focus and independence: a Metal animal knows what it wants and pursues it directly, sometimes at the cost of flexibility.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Metal Monkey year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1980 was 1920, and the next is 2040. People born in it are said to combine clever and playful with the element's determined nature. Every Monkey year is yang (the active, outgoing type). See the Metal element and the full Metal Monkey profile.

1980 at a glance

Animal	🐒 Monkey (猴)
Element	Metal
Yin or yang	yang
Traditional year name	庚申 (gēngshēn)
Place in the 60-year cycle	57 of 60
Zodiac year runs	February 16, 1980 to February 4, 1981
Age in 2026	45–46
Traditional best match	Snake
Traditional hardest match	Tiger
Lucky numbers	4, 9
Lucky colors	white, gold, blue

Monkey compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 1980 Monkey gets on best with the Snake (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Rat and Dragon. The hardest pairing is the Tiger, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Monkey compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 1980 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 1980 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to February 15, 1980	Goat (the 1979 year)
February 16, 1980 to December 31, 1980	Monkey
January 1, 1981 to February 4, 1981	Monkey (still the 1980 year)
February 5, 1981 onward	Rooster (the 1981 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 1980 Monkey

The next own-sign year for someone born in 1980 is 2028, around age 48, then 2040, around age 60. Tradition calls this your běnmìngnián. Despite being "your" year, it is thought to clash with Tài Suì (the God of Age) and to carry a higher chance of setbacks, so many people wear red through it for protection.

The element pair: 1980 and 1981

Metal years come in pairs. 1980 is the yang year and 1981 is the yin year, the Rooster. So a 1980 Monkey and a 1981 Rooster share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Monkey and Rooster pairing as moderate: it has no special bond or conflict, so how well it goes depends on the two people more than on the calendar. See the Monkey and Rooster pairing.

Other Monkey years

1932 1944 1956 1968 1992 2004 2016 2028 2040

Full Monkey personality profile →   Monkey compatibility with every sign →

Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →

What a Metal year changes for the Monkey

Talking. In conversation, a Metal Monkey gets more guarded about it, saying less than it's actually thinking, which is the main way 1980's version differs from the same animal born under another element.

Work. Metal sharpens and hardens the Monkey's usual working style, so a 1980 Monkey tends to run things with a sharper, less negotiable edge than most. The kind of work the sign suits stays the same; the element changes how the job gets done.

Love. Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve, so in a relationship a Metal Monkey shows affection through direct, no-nonsense gestures.

For the sign as a whole (how the Monkey communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Monkey profile. This page covers what is different about 1980.

Known Monkeys

Kim Kardashian was born in the 1980 lunar year, an exact Metal Monkey match for this page. Other well-known Monkeys, from other years, include Will Smith, Celine Dion and Tom Hanks. A shared sign says nothing about how anyone's life goes; these are simply familiar names to put to the sign.