1980 Chinese Zodiac
1980 is the Year of the Yang Metal Monkey.
This Monkey year begins on Chinese New Year, February 16, 1980, and runs until the eve of the next lunar new year.
Born in January or early February 1980?
The zodiac animal changes on Chinese New Year, not January 1. If you were born before February 16, 1980, your sign is actually the Goat (the previous lunar year) — not the Monkey.
The element of 1980
⚔️ Yang Metal — Metal is resolve, discipline, and ambition. It sharpens an animal into something focused and unbending, with strong principles and a will of steel. Metal types achieve a great deal, but their rigidity and pride can isolate them.
People born in the Year of the Monkey
The Monkey is the zodiac's clever improviser — inventive, witty, and endlessly curious. Monkeys solve problems sideways, finding the angle no one else considered and having fun doing it. They are quick learners who get bored quickly too, juggling a dozen interests with restless brilliance. Socially fluent and a little mischievous, a Monkey can talk its way into and out of almost anything. Behind the play is a sharp, ambitious mind that hates losing and rarely shows how hard it is actually working.
Read the full Monkey profile →
Monkey lucky colors & numbers
| Lucky colors | White, Gold, Blue |
|---|---|
| Lucky numbers | 4, 9 |
| Native guardian (本命佛) | Vairocana Buddha (大日如来) |
Other Years of the Monkey
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1980?
1980 is the year of the Monkey — more precisely the Yang Metal Monkey. The Monkey year begins on Chinese New Year, February 16, 1980.
If I was born in January 1980, what is my sign?
If you were born before February 16, 1980, you are actually a Goat (the previous lunar year), not a Monkey. The animal only changes on Chinese New Year's Day.
What element is 1980?
The 1980 year carries the Yang Metal element, drawn from the year's Heavenly Stem in the sexagenary cycle. That makes it a Yang Metal Monkey.