--- title: "What Chinese Zodiac Is 1980? Year of the Metal Monkey" description: "1980 is the Year of the Metal Monkey in the Chinese zodiac, from February 16, 1980 to February 4, 1981. Personality, Lunar New Year dates and numerology." canonical: https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1980 last-updated: 2026-10-23 reviewed: false author: Unified Reading editorial --- # What Chinese Zodiac Is 1980? Year of the Metal Monkey In Chinese astrology, 1980 is the Year of the Metal Monkey, a Yang year. It began at Lunar New Year on February 16, 1980 and ended on February 4, 1981, so people born in 1980 before Feb 16 belong to the Earth Goat year. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Animal · element · polarity | Monkey · Metal · Yang | | Starts (Lunar New Year) | February 16, 1980 | | Ends | February 4, 1981 | | Born in 1980 before Feb 16 | Earth Goat (the 1979 year) | | Monkey's fixed element | Metal (Metal year element matches the fixed element) | | Other Metal Monkey years (1924-2044) | 2040 | | Stem-branch name | Geng-Shen | | Lunar New Year weekday · Sun sign | Saturday · Aquarius | | Numerology year number | 9 | ## When the 1980 Metal Monkey year starts and ends The 1980 Metal Monkey year began at Lunar New Year on February 16, 1980 and lasted until February 4, 1981, the day before the next new year. Anyone born between January 1 and Feb 16 1980 therefore belongs to the Earth Goat year that started in 1979, while someone born in early 1981, up to Feb 4, is still a Metal Monkey. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, which is why the start date moves between January 21 and February 20 instead of staying on January 1. The same Metal Monkey combination also falls in 2040, sixty years apart, because five elements and twelve animals realign only once in each sixty-year cycle. Lunar New Year 1980 fell on a Saturday, while the Western Sun was in Aquarius. ## Metal Monkey personality Intelligent, confident and strategic, the Metal Monkey thrives on autonomy and hard problems. The Monkey's fixed element is Metal, so this year doubles it, and tradition describes a sharp wit and formidable drive. People born now are often highly skilled and organised. Pride and emotional reserve are the usual cautions, eased by sharing credit generously. Their inventiveness often surprises even close colleagues. Metal is the element of autumn and harvest, and a Metal year is traditionally said to sharpen whatever animal it meets. Descriptions associate it with determination, discipline, clear judgement and a strong code of principle. Metal-year people are often portrayed as decisive, self-reliant and willing to do difficult things because they are right. The element is linked with refinement and with cutting away what is unnecessary, so it tends to bring focus and high standards. Its traditional shadow is rigidity: Metal can become inflexible, proud or emotionally guarded, preferring to be correct over being close, and finding it hard to bend once a position is taken. ## 1980 in numerology and the twelve-year cycle In numerology the year reduces to 9, the number of completion, generosity and letting go, and a 9 year is traditionally read as one of endings that clear space. The digits of 1980 add up to 18, which reduces to 9. In the twelve-year cycle the Monkey is the ninth animal, earthly branch Shen, with Metal as its fixed element and Yang polarity. The year element is Metal, and in the five-element cycles metal year element matches the fixed element. The year before was the Earth Goat and the year after is the Metal Rooster. In the traditional sexagenary count the year is called Geng-Shen: Geng is the Metal heavenly stem and Shen is the Monkey's earthly branch. Stems and branches alternate between yang and yin together, which is why yang stems only ever meet yang animals. ## Frequently asked questions ### What Chinese zodiac is 1980? 1980 is the Year of the Metal Monkey. It started on February 16, 1980 and ended on February 4, 1981. ### What if I was born in January or February 1980? Check the date against Feb 16. Born before February 16, 1980, you are a Earth Goat; born on or after it, you are a Metal Monkey. ### What element is 1980 in the Chinese zodiac? Metal, a Yang year. The Monkey's own fixed element is Metal; the year element changes every two years, while the fixed element stays with the animal. ### What is the traditional Chinese name for 1980? Geng-Shen. The first part is the heavenly stem, which carries the year's element and polarity; the second is the earthly branch, which carries the animal. Almanacs, calendars and Four Pillars charts identify years this way rather than by animal alone. ### When is the next Metal Monkey year? 2040, sixty years later, when the five elements and twelve animals line up again; the table also has 2040. ## Related pages - [Metal Monkey](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/metal-monkey) - [Monkey](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/monkey) - [Chinese zodiac years](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/years) - [1979 (Earth Goat)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1979) - [1981 (Metal Rooster)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1981) - [1968 (Earth Monkey)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1968) - [1992 (Water Monkey)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1992) - [2040 (Metal Monkey)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/2040) - [1956 (Fire Monkey)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1956) - [2004 (Wood Monkey)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/2004) - [Chinese zodiac calculator](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac-calculator) - [Chinese zodiac](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac) ## About Unified Reading Unified Reading combines Pythagorean numerology, the Western Sun sign (Moon and rising with a birth time), the Chinese zodiac and life-stage context in one reading. The preview is free at https://unifiedreading.com/#details; the full reading is $4.99, paid once through Stripe, with no subscription. A fictional sample is at https://unifiedreading.com/sample. With a birth time and place it adds whole sign houses and the chart ruler; it does not calculate planetary aspects or transits, and it is a framework for reflection, not a prediction.