What Chinese zodiac is 2016?
Year of the Fire Monkey丙申 · Bing Shen · Foothill Fire
2016 is the Year of the Fire Monkey — 丙申 (Bing Shen) in the Chinese calendar. The heavenly stem 丙 belongs to Fire, and the year's nayin ("sound") element is Foothill Fire.
Animal sign · Stem-branch
- Animal sign
- Monkey
- Stem-branch
- 丙申 (Bing Shen)
- Element (heavenly stem)
- 丙 · Fire
- Nayin element
- Foothill Fire · Fire
Chinese New Year · Start of Spring (Lichun)
- Chinese New Year
- Feb 8, 2016
- Start of Spring (Lichun)
- Feb 4, 2016
- This Monkey year
- Feb 8, 2016 – Jan 27, 2017
Born in January or February 2016?
| Born | By Chinese New Year (common use) | By Start of Spring (BaZi) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 – Feb 3 | Goat | Goat |
| Feb 4 – Feb 7 | Goat | Monkey |
| Feb 8 – Dec 31 | Monkey | Monkey |
Most people switch animals at Chinese New Year; BaZi (Four Pillars) uses Start of Spring as the year boundary, so early-year birthdays can have two answers. Not sure? A free BaZi chart shows your exact year pillar.
How old is someone born in 2016?
- In 2026
- 10 after their birthday (9 before)
- East Asian age (xusui)
- 11 after Chinese New Year
Monkey return years (benmingnian)
- 2028 (age 12)
- 2040 (age 24)
A benmingnian is a year that shares your birth animal; it comes round every 12 years. Wearing red is a folk custom for it — tradition, not something to worry about.
Which signs get along with the Monkey?
- Trine (san he)
- Secret friend (liu he)
- Clash (chong)
These are traditional branch relations, shared as culture — they don't decide whether two people get along. Tap one for the full match.
Fire Monkey personality
The Fire element gives this Monkey its own flavor. Fire is about warmth and light: traditionally a Fire year adds enthusiasm, charisma and quick action.
In the late-afternoon hour of Shen, the liveliest corner of the forest belongs to the monkeys. People born in the Year of the Monkey are quick, full of ideas and fast learners who love novelty and challenge. With you around, even a hard problem becomes an interesting puzzle.
- Strengths
- Clever, funny, adaptable
- Watch for
- A restless mind can make it hard to sit still, and you sometimes make things look too easy
- In love
- Fun and full of surprises, you need someone who can keep up with your thinking.
- At work
- You shine at problem-solving and new ideas. The more things change, the more at home you are.
The Monkey in 2027, Year of the Fire Goat
Ideas everywhere, many things bloom
Monkey and Goat form no strong clash or harmony, so tradition reads 2027 as a steady year. Monkeys are clever and curious; it's a great year to explore new fields and learn new things. Your ideas will energize the people around you.
Creative work and problem-solving suit you. Having many ideas is a strength; pick the best one and see it through.
Traditional views shared as culture and for fun — not a prediction or advice.
FAQ
What Chinese zodiac is 2016?
2016 is the Year of the Monkey (丙申, Bing Shen). This Monkey year runs from Feb 8, 2016 (Chinese New Year) to Jan 27, 2017.
What is my sign if I was born in January 2016?
Born before Feb 8, 2016? By the usual Chinese New Year rule you belong to 2015, the Year of the Goat. BaZi switches at Start of Spring (Feb 4), so a birthday before that also gets the 乙未 year pillar.
What element is a 2016 Monkey?
By the heavenly stem 丙, 2016 is a Fire Monkey year. By the older nayin system, 丙申 is "Foothill Fire". Neither is good or bad — your personal elements come from the full BaZi chart.
How old is someone born in 2016 in 2026?
10 after their birthday in 2026; by East Asian reckoning (xusui) they are 11 after Chinese New Year.
When is the next Year of the Monkey?
The next Year of the Monkey is 2028.
Make it about you
Your Chinese zodiac only looks at your birth year. Enter your date and hour of birth for a free BaZi chart and see your own chart and yearly cycles.
Other Monkey years
Nearby years
Animal signs, stem-branches and nayin follow the traditional Chinese calendar; Chinese New Year and Start of Spring dates are Beijing time, computed with lunar-javascript. Traditional culture, for reference only.