---
title: "1968 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Earth Monkey (戊申), 30 Jan 1968 to 16 Feb 1969 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1968 is the Year of the Earth Monkey, 猴 hóu: from Chinese New Year on 30 January 1968 to 16 February 1969, so a birthday before 30 January 1968 is a Goat. What Earth means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属猴."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1968"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese zodiac](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac)

# 1968: Year of the Earth Monkey

1968 is the Year of the Monkey, 猴 hóu, an Earth year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 30 January 1968 and runs to 16 February 1969. Born from 1 January to 29 January 1968? You are a [Goat, 1967](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1967).

猴

hóu

Earth Monkey

**Animal**
[猴 hóu Monkey](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/monkey)

**Element**
土 tǔ Earth, yang

**Cycle name**
戊申年 wù shēn nián

**Starts**
30 January 1968

**Ends**
16 February 1969

**Matches**
Rat, Dragon and Snake; clashes with Tiger

**Age**
Born in 1968? You turn 58 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1968-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1968 in Chinese

A year is read digit by digit, then 年 nián: no “nineteen eighty-three”.

- 一九六八年 yī jiǔ liù bā nián 1968
- 戊申年 wù shēn nián the 戊申 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九六八年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ liù bā nián chū shēng de I was born in 1968.
- 我属猴 wǒ shǔ hóu I'm a Monkey.
- 土猴 tǔ hóu Earth Monkey

## What Earth means

土Earth is the ground everything stands on, at the centre of the five. People born in an Earth year are said to be steady and patient, the friend everyone leans on.

**Season**
长夏 cháng xià late summer

**Direction**
中 zhōng the centre

**Colour**
黄 huáng yellow

### Words for an Earth Monkey

- 机智 jīzhì clever
- 稳重 wěnzhòng steady
- 可靠 kěkào reliable

Each year has one of five elements, 五行 wǔ xíng, two years each, so the same animal and element meet once every sixty years. The traits are what tradition says, for fun.

## The Monkey, 猴

The Monkey is Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of Journey to the West. People born in a Monkey year are said to be clever, funny and curious, quick learners who can solve anything and love a joke.

[Monkey personality, matches and sayings](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/monkey)

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1968?

1968 is the Year of the Monkey, 猴 (hóu), from Chinese New Year on 30 January 1968 to 16 February 1969. Its element is Earth, so people born in it are Earth Monkeys.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1968?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 29 January 1968? You belong to 1967, the Year of the Fire Goat.

### What element is 1968 in the Chinese zodiac?

Earth, 土 (tǔ). 1968 is 戊申 (wù shēn) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Earth year; the Earth Monkey comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1968 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九六八年 (yī jiǔ liù bā nián). “I was born in 1968” is 我是一九六八年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ liù bā nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Monkey” is 我属猴 (wǒ shǔ hóu).