---
title: "2040 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Monkey (庚申), 12 Feb 2040 to 31 Jan 2041 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "2040 is the Year of the Metal Monkey, 猴 hóu: from Chinese New Year on 12 February 2040 to 31 January 2041, so a birthday before 12 February 2040 is a Goat. What Metal means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属猴."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2040"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# 2040: Year of the Metal Monkey

2040 is the Year of the Monkey, 猴 hóu, a Metal year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 12 February 2040 and runs to 31 January 2041. Born from 1 January to 11 February 2040? You are a [Goat, 2039](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/2039).

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**
12 February 2040

**Ends**
31 January 2041

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

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=2040-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 2040 in Chinese

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

- 二〇四〇年 èr líng sì líng nián 2040
- 庚申年 gēng shēn nián the 庚申 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是二〇四〇年出生的 wǒ shì èr líng sì líng nián chū shēng de I was born in 2040.
- 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 2040?

2040 is the Year of the Monkey, 猴 (hóu), from Chinese New Year on 12 February 2040 to 31 January 2041. Its element is Metal, so people born in it are Metal Monkeys.

### What if I was born in January or early February 2040?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 11 February 2040? You belong to 2039, the Year of the Earth Goat.

### What element is 2040 in the Chinese zodiac?

Metal, 金 (jīn). 2040 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 2040 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 二〇四〇年 (èr líng sì líng nián). “I was born in 2040” is 我是二〇四〇年出生的 (wǒ shì èr líng sì líng nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Monkey” is 我属猴 (wǒ shǔ hóu).