1980 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Monkey

1980 is the Year of the Metal Monkey — a Yang Metal year. The animal sign is the Monkey, the ninth of the 12-animal cycle.

1980 carries the Metal element (Yang Metal). Element is set by the year's heavenly stem and cycles every 10 years, so the full Metal Monkey combination returns only once every 60 years.

Those born in 1980, the Year of the Monkey, are traditionally described as sharp, curious, and inventive. With the Metal element added, determination, structure, and resilience are emphasised.

The Monkey is traditionally most compatible with the Rat, Dragon, Snake.

Almost — but the Chinese zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year (late January or early February), not January 1. So someone born in early 1980, before that year's Chinese New Year, is actually a Goat (the 1979 sign). If your birthday is in late January or early February, enter your full date of birth in the Age Calculator to confirm your exact sign.