Chinese Zodiac Years
2004 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Wood Monkey
Born in 2004? Your Chinese zodiac animal is most likely the Monkey, but check the date: the 2004 Wood Monkey year began on 22 January 2004. Here is everything about the year, from its element to its lucky colors and best matches.
2004: a Yang Wood Monkey year
The Chinese zodiac year 2004 was the Year of the Monkey. It began with Lunar New Year on 22 January 2004 and ended on 8 February 2005, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.
Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 2004 ends in 4, which makes it a Wood year, and as an even year it is Yang. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 2004 is a Jia-shen year. The same Wood Monkey combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1944 before it and 2064 after it.
Born in January or February 2004?
Lunar New Year 2004 fell on 22 January 2004. Anyone born from 1 January 2004 up to the day before belongs to the previous year's animal, the Goat; from 22 January 2004 on, the Monkey.
The zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January, which is why early-year birthdays need checking. Our guide Born in January? explains the rule, and the zodiac sign checker gives the exact answer for any birth date.
The Monkey's personality
Our Monkey guide describes the sign like this: “Clever, curious, and witty. Monkeys are quick learners who enjoy solving problems creatively.” The usual watch-out: “Can be mischievous or struggle to focus on one thing.”
The Wood element adds its own flavour. Wood years bring growth, creativity, and a drive to build new things. People of this element tend to be cooperative, generous, and idealistic. Read more in our Wood element guide, or the full Year of the Monkey page.
Careers often linked with the Monkey: technology, marketing, comedy, consulting.
Lucky colors, numbers and days for the Monkey
- Lucky colors: white, gold and blue
- Lucky numbers: 4 and 9
- Lucky days: Wednesday and Friday
These are the values used across this site. For a lucky color, number and time that change every day, see the daily fortune.
Best matches for someone born in 2004
In traditional compatibility, the Monkey's best matches are the Rat, Dragon and Snake, and its clash sign is the Tiger, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac circle. Our compatibility calculator compares two full birth dates, elements included.
The Monkey in 2026 and 2027
2026 (Fire Horse, until 5 February 2027): for the Monkey, it has no special traditional relationship with the Horse, so 2026 is a neutral year.
2027 (Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027): for the Monkey, it has no special traditional relationship with the Goat, so 2027 is a neutral year. See Chinese zodiac 2027 predictions for every sign.
Other Year of the Monkey years
Years of the same animal come every twelve years, each with a different element: 1980 (Metal Monkey); 1992 (Water Monkey); 2016 (Fire Monkey); 2028 (Earth Monkey). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 2004?
2004 is the Year of the Monkey, a Yang Wood Monkey year (Jia-shen).
When does the 2004 Year of the Monkey start and end?
It starts on 22 January 2004 and ends on 8 February 2005.
I was born in January 2004. What is my Chinese zodiac?
If you were born before 22 January 2004, you are a Goat; from 22 January 2004 on, a Monkey.
What element is 2004?
Wood. 2004 ends in 4, which belongs to Wood, and it is a Yang year.
Who is the Monkey compatible with?
Traditionally the Rat, Dragon and Snake. The Monkey's clash sign is the Tiger.
Sources and further reading
- Hong Kong Observatory: “Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches” — the 60-part Gan-Zhi cycle used to name years, months, days and hours.
- Wikipedia: “Sexagenary cycle” — the ten stems and twelve branches, 1984 as the start of the present cycle, and the year changing at Lunar New Year.
- Farmers' Almanac: “When Is Lunar New Year 2027?” — Lunar New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, between 21 January and 21 February.
- New World Encyclopedia: “Wu xing” — the five elements and the generating and overcoming cycles.
- Britannica: Chinese zodiac — the zodiac as a classification of years in a repeating twelve-year cycle.
Traditional Chinese zodiac reading for culture and entertainment, not a scientific prediction. Year dates follow the Lunar New Year table used by our zodiac checker.
Explore more: Chinese zodiac years chart · Year of the Monkey · Born in January? · Zodiac sign checker
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