---
title: "1986 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Fire Tiger (丙寅), 9 Feb 1986 to 28 Jan 1987 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "1986 is the Year of the Fire Tiger, 虎 hǔ: from Chinese New Year on 9 February 1986 to 28 January 1987, so a birthday before 9 February 1986 is a Ox. What Fire means, and how to say it in Chinese: 我属虎."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1986"
published: "2026-10-15"
updated: "2026-10-26"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese zodiac](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac)

# 1986: Year of the Fire Tiger

1986 is the Year of the Tiger, 虎 hǔ, a Fire year. It starts at Chinese New Year on 9 February 1986 and runs to 28 January 1987. Born from 1 January to 8 February 1986? You are a [Ox, 1985](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/1985).

虎

hǔ

Fire Tiger

**Animal**
[虎 hǔ Tiger](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/tiger)

**Element**
火 huǒ Fire, yang

**Cycle name**
丙寅年 bǐng yín nián

**Starts**
9 February 1986

**Ends**
28 January 1987

**Matches**
Horse, Dog and Pig; clashes with Monkey

**Age**
Born in 1986? You turn 40 in 2026.

[Save or share this card](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac?d=1986-06-15) from the zodiac finder.

## Say 1986 in Chinese

A year is read digit by digit, then 年 nián: no “nineteen eighty-three”.

- 一九八六年 yī jiǔ bā liù nián 1986
- 丙寅年 bǐng yín nián the 丙寅 year, its name in the sixty-year cycle
- 我是一九八六年出生的 wǒ shì yī jiǔ bā liù nián chū shēng de I was born in 1986.
- 我属虎 wǒ shǔ hǔ I'm a Tiger.
- 火虎 huǒ hǔ Fire Tiger

## What Fire means

火Fire is warmth and light at the height of summer. People born in a Fire year are said to be passionate and bold, the first to start and the last to give up.

**Season**
夏 xià summer

**Direction**
南 nán south

**Colour**
红 hóng red

### Words for a Fire Tiger

- 勇敢 yǒnggǎn brave
- 热情 rèqíng warm-hearted
- 乐观 lèguān optimistic

Each year has one of five elements, 五行 wǔ xíng, two years each, so the same animal and element meet once every sixty years. The traits are what tradition says, for fun.

## The Tiger, 虎

The Tiger is king of the mountain forests, with the stripes of 王, “king”, on its forehead. People born in a Tiger year are said to be brave and confident, born leaders who act fast and protect the people they love.

[Tiger personality, matches and sayings](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-zodiac/tiger)

## Questions

### What Chinese zodiac animal is 1986?

1986 is the Year of the Tiger, 虎 (hǔ), from Chinese New Year on 9 February 1986 to 28 January 1987. Its element is Fire, so people born in it are Fire Tigers.

### What if I was born in January or early February 1986?

The zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Born from 1 January to 8 February 1986? You belong to 1985, the Year of the Wood Ox.

### What element is 1986 in the Chinese zodiac?

Fire, 火 (huǒ). 1986 is 丙寅 (bǐng yín) in the sixty-year cycle, a yang Fire year; the Fire Tiger comes round once every sixty years.

### How do you say 1986 in Chinese?

Read the digits one by one and add 年 (nián, year): 一九八六年 (yī jiǔ bā liù nián). “I was born in 1986” is 我是一九八六年出生的 (wǒ shì yī jiǔ bā liù nián chū shēng de), and “I'm a Tiger” is 我属虎 (wǒ shǔ hǔ).