---
title: "2004 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Monkey (甲申), 22 Jan 2004 to 8 Feb 2005 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "2004 is the Year of the Wood Monkey, 猴 hóu: from Chinese New Year on 22 January 2004 to 8 February 2005, so a birthday before 22 January 2004 is a Goat. What Wood means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属猴."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2004"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 2004: Year of the Wood Monkey

2004 is the Year of the Monkey, 猴 hóu, a Wood year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 22 January 2004 and runs to 8 February 2005. Born from 1 January to 21 January 2004? You are a [Goat, 2003](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2003).

猴

hóu

Wood Monkey

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

**Element**
木 mù Wood, yang

**Cycle name**
甲申年 jiǎ shēn nián

**Starts**
22 January 2004

**Ends**
8 February 2005

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

**Age**
Born in 2004? You turn 22 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=2004-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 2004 in Chinese

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

- 二〇〇四年 èr líng líng sì nián 2004
- 甲申年 jiǎ shēn nián the 甲申 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是二〇〇四年出生的 wǒ shì èr líng líng sì nián chū shēng de I was born in 2004.
- 我属猴 wǒ shǔ hóu I'm a Monkey.
- 木猴 mù hóu Wood Monkey

## What Wood means

木Wood is growth: a tree reaching up and out. People born in a Wood year are said to be generous and kind, slow to anger and quick to help.

**Season**
春 chūn spring

**Direction**
东 dōng east

**Colour**
青 qīng green

### Words for a Wood Monkey

- 机智 jīzhì clever
- 大方 dàfang generous
- 仁慈 réncí kind

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 2004?

2004 is the Year of the Monkey, 猴 (hóu), from Chinese New Year on 22 January 2004 to 8 February 2005. Its element is Wood, so people born in it are Wood Monkeys.

### What if I was born in January or early February 2004?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 21 January 2004? You belong to 2003, the Year of the Water Goat.

### What element is 2004 in the Chinese zodiac?

Wood, 木 (mù). 2004 is 甲申 (jiǎ shēn) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Wood year; the Wood Monkey comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 2004 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 二〇〇四年 (èr líng líng sì nián). “I was born in 2004” is 我是二〇〇四年出生的 (wǒ shì èr líng líng sì nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Monkey” is 我属猴 (wǒ shǔ hóu).