Chinese Zodiac Years
1986 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Tiger
Born in 1986? Your Chinese zodiac animal is most likely the Tiger, but check the date: the 1986 Fire Tiger year began on 9 February 1986. Here is everything about the year, from its element to its lucky colors and best matches.
1986: a Yang Fire Tiger year
The Chinese zodiac year 1986 was the Year of the Tiger. It began with Lunar New Year on 9 February 1986 and ended on 28 January 1987, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.
Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 1986 ends in 6, which makes it a Fire year, and as an even year it is Yang. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 1986 is a Bing-yin year. The same Fire Tiger combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1926 before it and 2046 after it.
Born in January or February 1986?
Lunar New Year 1986 fell on 9 February 1986, so everyone born in January 1986, and in February before that date, belongs to the previous year's animal, the Ox.
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 Tiger's personality
Our Tiger guide describes the sign like this: “Brave, confident, and competitive. Tigers are natural leaders who act decisively.” The usual watch-out: “Can be impulsive or impatient with slower-moving people.”
The Fire element adds its own flavour. Fire years bring passion, energy, and boldness. People of this element tend to be dynamic, adventurous, and quick to lead. Read more in our Fire element guide, or the full Year of the Tiger page.
Careers often linked with the Tiger: entrepreneurship, sports, law, management.
Lucky colors, numbers and days for the Tiger
- Lucky colors: blue, gray and orange
- Lucky numbers: 1, 3 and 4
- Lucky days: Tuesday and Wednesday
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 1986
In traditional compatibility, the Tiger's best matches are the Horse, Dog and Pig, and its clash sign is the Monkey, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac circle. Our compatibility calculator compares two full birth dates, elements included.
The Tiger in 2026 and 2027
2026 (Fire Horse, until 5 February 2027): for the Tiger, it shares the Horse's triangle, so 2026 is traditionally one of its friendlier years.
2027 (Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027): for the Tiger, 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 Tiger years
Years of the same animal come every twelve years, each with a different element: 1962 (Water Tiger); 1974 (Wood Tiger); 1998 (Earth Tiger); 2010 (Metal Tiger). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 1986?
1986 is the Year of the Tiger, a Yang Fire Tiger year (Bing-yin).
When does the 1986 Year of the Tiger start and end?
It starts on 9 February 1986 and ends on 28 January 1987.
I was born in January 1986. What is my Chinese zodiac?
A Ox: Lunar New Year 1986 was on 9 February 1986, so all of January 1986 belongs to the Ox year.
What element is 1986?
Fire. 1986 ends in 6, which belongs to Fire, and it is a Yang year.
Who is the Tiger compatible with?
Traditionally the Horse, Dog and Pig. The Tiger's clash sign is the Monkey.
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 Tiger · Born in January? · Zodiac sign checker
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