Chinese Zodiac Years
2016 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Monkey
Born in 2016? Your Chinese zodiac animal is most likely the Monkey, but check the date: the 2016 Fire Monkey year began on 8 February 2016. Here is everything about the year, from its element to its lucky colors and best matches.
2016: a Yang Fire Monkey year
The Chinese zodiac year 2016 was the Year of the Monkey. It began with Lunar New Year on 8 February 2016 and ended on 27 January 2017, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.
Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 2016 ends in 6, which makes it a Fire year, and as an even year it is Yang. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 2016 is a Bing-shen year. The same Fire Monkey combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1956 before it and 2076 after it.
Born in January or February 2016?
Lunar New Year 2016 fell on 8 February 2016, so everyone born in January 2016, and in February before that date, belongs to the previous year's animal, the Goat.
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 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 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 2016
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: 1992 (Water Monkey); 2004 (Wood Monkey); 2028 (Earth Monkey); 2040 (Metal Monkey). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.
Related articles
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac is 2016?
2016 is the Year of the Monkey, a Yang Fire Monkey year (Bing-shen).
When does the 2016 Year of the Monkey start and end?
It starts on 8 February 2016 and ends on 27 January 2017.
I was born in January 2016. What is my Chinese zodiac?
A Goat: Lunar New Year 2016 was on 8 February 2016, so all of January 2016 belongs to the Goat year.
What element is 2016?
Fire. 2016 ends in 6, which belongs to Fire, 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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