Born in 2016: the Monkey

Anyone born in 2016 is a Fire Monkey. The year's traditional two-part name is 丙申 (bǐngshēn), number 33 in the 60-year cycle, and it is a yang year, the active, outgoing half of the cycle. The base Monkey traits (clever, playful, curious) come filtered through a dynamic, warm and a little restless Fire tone.

The 2016 lunar year ran from February 8, 2016 up to the day before Chinese New Year 2017 (January 28, 2017). If you were born on or after February 8, 2016 you are a Monkey; if you were born earlier in 2016, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Goat. Someone born in 2016 turns 10 in 2026 (or 9 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 2016's Chinese New Year fell on a Monday, and that lunar year ran 355 days — an ordinary 12-month lunar year.

What the Fire element adds

Fire is the element of summer, energy and passion. A Fire year turns the volume up — more drive, more warmth, more willingness to take a risk — but also a shorter fuse and less patience for slow, routine work.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Fire Monkey year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 2016 was 1956, and the next is 2076. People born in it are said to combine clever and playful with the element's dynamic nature. Every Monkey year is yang (the active, outgoing type). See the Fire element and the full Fire Monkey profile.

2016 at a glance

Animal	🐒 Monkey (猴)
Element	Fire
Yin or yang	yang
Traditional year name	丙申 (bǐngshēn)
Place in the 60-year cycle	33 of 60
Zodiac year runs	February 8, 2016 to January 27, 2017
Age in 2026	9–10
Traditional best match	Snake
Traditional hardest match	Tiger
Lucky numbers	4, 9
Lucky colors	white, gold, blue

Monkey compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 2016 Monkey gets on best with the Snake (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Rat and Dragon. The hardest pairing is the Tiger, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Monkey compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 2016 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 2016 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to February 7, 2016	Goat (the 2015 year)
February 8, 2016 to December 31, 2016	Monkey
January 1, 2017 to January 27, 2017	Monkey (still the 2016 year)
January 28, 2017 onward	Rooster (the 2017 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 2016 Monkey

The next own-sign year for someone born in 2016 is 2028, around age 12, then 2040, around age 24. Tradition calls this your běnmìngnián. Despite being "your" year, it is thought to clash with Tài Suì (the God of Age) and to carry a higher chance of setbacks, so many people wear red through it for protection.

The element pair: 2016 and 2017

Fire years come in pairs. 2016 is the yang year and 2017 is the yin year, the Rooster. So a 2016 Monkey and a 2017 Rooster share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Monkey and Rooster pairing as moderate: it has no special bond or conflict, so how well it goes depends on the two people more than on the calendar. See the Monkey and Rooster pairing.

Other Monkey years

1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004 2028 2040

Full Monkey personality profile →   Monkey compatibility with every sign →

Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →

What a Fire year changes for the Monkey

Talking. The Fire element shows up in how a 2016 Monkey speaks: it leans further into action, saying yes before thinking it all the way through. Another element on the same animal would sound different.

Work. In 2016 the Fire element intensifies and adds urgency to the Monkey's habits at work, so this version runs things hotter and faster than most. It changes the style, not the choice of career.

Love. A 2016 Monkey shows affection loudly and quickly. That follows from the element: fire is the element of summer, energy and passion.

For the sign as a whole (how the Monkey communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Monkey profile. This page covers what is different about 2016.

Known Monkeys

Will Smith, Celine Dion, Tom Hanks, Kim Kardashian are among the names most often cited as Monkeys, though none of them was born in the 2016 lunar year. They're referenced here as examples of the animal's clever streak generally, not proof of what a Fire Monkey specifically looks like.