---
title: "1980 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Monkey (庚申), 16 Feb 1980 to 4 Feb 1981 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1980 is the Year of the Metal Monkey, 猴 hóu: from Chinese New Year on 16 February 1980 to 4 February 1981, so a birthday before 16 February 1980 is a Goat. What Metal means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属猴."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1980"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 1980: Year of the Metal Monkey

1980 is the Year of the Monkey, 猴 hóu, a Metal year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 16 February 1980 and runs to 4 February 1981. Born from 1 January to 15 February 1980? You are a [Goat, 1979](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1979).

猴

hóu

Metal Monkey

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

**Element**
金 jīn Metal, yang

**Cycle name**
庚申年 gēng shēn nián

**Starts**
16 February 1980

**Ends**
4 February 1981

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

**Age**
Born in 1980? You turn 46 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1980-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1980 in Chinese

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

- 一九八〇年 yī jiǔ bā líng nián 1980
- 庚申年 gēng shēn nián the 庚申 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九八〇年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ bā líng nián chū shēng de I was born in 1980.
- 我属猴 wǒ shǔ hóu I'm a Monkey.
- 金猴 jīn hóu Metal Monkey

## What Metal means

金Metal is strength and a clean edge, the harvest of autumn. People born in a Metal year are said to be determined and clear-minded, sure of what they want.

**Season**
秋 qiū autumn

**Direction**
西 xī west

**Colour**
白 bái white

### Words for a Metal Monkey

- 机智 jīzhì clever
- 坚强 jiānqiáng strong-willed
- 果断 guǒduàn decisive

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 1980?

1980 is the Year of the Monkey, 猴 (hóu), from Chinese New Year on 16 February 1980 to 4 February 1981. Its element is Metal, so people born in it are Metal Monkeys.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1980?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 15 February 1980? You belong to 1979, the Year of the Earth Goat.

### What element is 1980 in the Chinese zodiac?

Metal, 金 (jīn). 1980 is 庚申 (gēng shēn) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Metal year; the Metal Monkey comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1980 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九八〇年 (yī jiǔ bā líng nián). “I was born in 1980” is 我是一九八〇年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ bā líng nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Monkey” is 我属猴 (wǒ shǔ hóu).