By Chinese Zodiac
Chinese zodiac compatibility is based not on personalities but on where the signs sit on the circle of twelve animals: there are “compatibility triangles,” the “Six Harmonies,” the “Six Harms” and the “Six Clashes.” The calculator above determines the signs from the birth dates, taking the year boundary into account, and gives a score.
How it's calculated
The sign is determined by year, but the year starts not on January 1 but on the day of Lichun — February 3, 4 or 5. People born in January and early February usually belong to the previous animal, and that's the first thing to check.
The calculator then applies four rules.
Compatibility triangles. Every fourth sign of the circle belongs to the same trio; there are four such triangles: Rat, Dragon and Monkey; Ox, Snake and Rooster; Tiger, Horse and Dog; Rabbit, Goat and Pig.
| Triangle | Signs |
|---|---|
| Doers | Rat, Dragon, Monkey |
| Thinkers | Ox, Snake, Rooster |
| Protectors | Tiger, Horse, Dog |
| Peacemakers | Rabbit, Goat, Pig |
Signs within the same triangle are considered the best partners: 92%.
The Six Harmonies (六合). Pairs of signs that by tradition complement each other: Rat – Ox, Tiger – Pig, Rabbit – Dog, Dragon – Rooster, Snake – Monkey, Horse – Goat. This is the second-strongest favorable combination: 85%.
The Six Harms (六害). Pairs with hidden friction: Rat – Goat, Ox – Horse, Tiger – Snake, Rabbit – Dragon, Monkey – Pig, Rooster – Dog. There's no open conflict, but small grievances pile up: 55%.
The Six Clashes. Signs opposite each other: Rat – Horse, Ox – Goat, Tiger – Monkey, Rabbit – Rooster, Dragon – Dog, Snake – Pig. This is the most difficult combination: 42%.
Tradition doesn't single out the remaining pairs. For them, the site uses a conventional rule: signs that are neighbors on the circle and signs five steps apart get 68%, signs two or three steps apart get 74%, and two people of the same sign get 70%. This is the site's convention, not a classical rule, so a difference of a few percent means little here.
Worked Example
Someone born on February 14, 1988 is a Dragon (the year began on February 4, 1988). Someone born on January 20, 1988 is still a Rabbit, because the Year of the Dragon hadn't yet begun.
Dragon and Monkey: same triangle, 92%. Dragon and Rooster: one of the Six Harmonies, 85%. Dragon and Rabbit: one of the “harming” pairs, 55%. Dragon and Dog: opposing signs, 42%. The gap between these pairs is bigger than the gap between personalities.
What the result means
A high score in the Chinese system means a shared pace and way of doing things. A compatibility triangle isn't about love; it's about two people agreeing on when it's time to act and when to wait.
A harmony pair (六合) is one where the signs complement each other and easily come to agreement. A “harming” pair (六害) doesn't quarrel openly, but it's important for the two to voice their expectations in time.
Opposition means opposite views on the fundamental questions. Tradition is wary of such marriages but doesn't consider them impossible; in Chinese practice they're simply backed up with additional calculations based on the month, day and hour of birth.
The full Chinese system (BaZi) compares not the year signs but the eight characters of each person's chart. Compatibility based on the year animal alone is a heavy simplification, and Chinese practitioners say so openly.
Table of Meanings
All 78 pairs are covered separately. Rat: with the Rat · with the Ox · with the Tiger · with the Rabbit · with the Dragon · with the Snake · with the Horse · with the Goat · with the Monkey · with the Rooster · with the Dog · with the Pig
For the other pairs, use the calculator: enter both dates and go to the pair's page. Profiles of the signs themselves are in the Chinese zodiac section.
Frequently asked questions
I was born on January 25. What's my sign?
The previous year's. Check with the Chinese zodiac calculator: it accounts for the Lichun year boundary.
Is the year's element taken into account?
Not in the score, but the calculator shows it. A full calculation with the elements is BaZi territory.
Which matters more, Chinese or Western zodiac compatibility?
They're two independent traditions, and neither one “matters more.” If they contradict each other, you've simply gotten two different opinions on the same question.
Does it work?
No verifiable link to real relationships has been found. As a system for describing differences in pace and temperament, though, it has real substance, and the “weak spots” sections on the pair pages are written from exactly that angle.