Check Your Compatibility
Add both birth years to also see whether your Year Stems (elements) classically combine or clash — an extra optional layer, not required. (Based on calendar birth year; if either of you was born in January or early February, your true Ba Zi year may differ — see our methodology.)
How This Calculator Works
This tool applies classical Ba Zi Earthly Branch theory — the same fixed relationships practitioners use, not a generic personality-match quiz. Every one of the 12 zodiac animals corresponds to an Earthly Branch, and branches interact through six defined relationship types.
One honest limit: your animal sign is your Year branch — the ancestral, generational layer of your chart. Classical marriage compatibility (合婚) actually leads with the Day pillar, whose branch is the Spouse Palace (夫妻宮) a full Ba Zi reading examines. Think of this calculator as the first, real layer — not the whole picture.
The supportive relationships
Trine (三合, San He) groups three signs into a strong ally set: Rat-Dragon-Monkey, Ox-Snake-Rooster, Tiger-Horse-Dog, and Rabbit-Goat-Pig. It feels like an effortless alliance — the kind of match that just works with little friction. Six Harmony (六合, Liu He) pairs two signs directly: Rat-Ox, Tiger-Pig, Rabbit-Dog, Dragon-Rooster, Snake-Monkey, and Horse-Goat. It reads as quiet mutual support — steady rather than dramatic. Both are traditionally read as complementary and supportive.
The tension relationships
Clash (冲, Chong) connects signs exactly six positions apart on the zodiac wheel (e.g. Rat and Horse) — high-energy friction, not doom. Harm (害) is a subtle erosion, a slow wearing-down rather than an open conflict. Punishment (刑) is a self-inflicted, recurring friction pattern that tends to repeat itself. Break (破) is a crack that widens under stress — fine day to day, strained under pressure. These describe a classical astrological dynamic, not a verdict — plenty of strong relationships exist between signs with a clash or punishment between them.
Want your full compatibility picture?
Sign-level compatibility is just the animal layer. A full Four Pillars (Ba Zi) chart — Year, Month, Day, and Hour pillars, elements, and Day Master — reveals a much more complete picture than the animal sign alone.
Get your Full Ba Zi Reading — $38.88 → (30-day money-back guarantee.)
Frequently asked questions
How is Chinese zodiac compatibility calculated?
Chinese zodiac compatibility follows classical Earthly Branch theory: each animal sign corresponds to one of the 12 Earthly Branches, and branches interact through fixed relationships — Trine (三合, three signs forming an ally group), Six Harmony (六合, six fixed pairs), Clash (冲, signs six apart), Harm (害), Punishment (刑), and Break (破). This calculator applies those fixed classical rules, not a generic personality quiz.
What are the best Chinese zodiac matches?
The strongest classical matches are Trine groups (Rat-Dragon-Monkey, Ox-Snake-Rooster, Tiger-Horse-Dog, Rabbit-Goat-Pig) and the six Six Harmony pairs (Rat-Ox, Tiger-Pig, Rabbit-Dog, Dragon-Rooster, Snake-Monkey, Horse-Goat). These relationships are traditionally considered supportive and complementary.
Does a zodiac clash mean a relationship is doomed?
No. A Clash (signs six positions apart) is a classical astrological tension, not a prediction of failure — plenty of strong relationships exist between clashing signs. Compatibility in practice depends on far more than the animal sign alone, including each person's full Four Pillars (Ba Zi) chart.