A Chinese zodiac signs compatibility chart maps how the twelve year-animals relate through traditional Earthly Branch rules—mainly Six Harmonies (六合), Three Harmonies (三合), and Six Clashes (六冲), with optional notes on Six Harms (六害). It is a quick year-sign lookup for love, friendship, or teamwork vocabulary, not a marriage verdict. Animal pairing is only one layer of Chinese astrology; a fuller BaZi (Four Pillars) comparison also weighs month, day, hour pillars and elements. This guide gives a readable 12×12 matrix, lists the classic pairs, explains how to read the chart, and bridges to deeper BaZi compatibility—entertainment and self-reflection only.
BaZiCalc guides are for entertainment and self-reflection. They are not fortune-telling, medical, financial, legal, or relationship counseling. This article invents no client couples or case studies and makes no claims that animal pairings predict marriage, breakup, health, money, or career outcomes.
What a Chinese zodiac compatibility chart shows
In one sentence: the chart classifies each of the 144 animal×animal cells using classical branch relationships, not a modern “percentage match” score. Search results for “chinese zodiac signs compatibility chart” are dominated by 12×12 matrices, Six/Three Harmonies lists, and optional calculators. This page follows that comparison format and adds the bridge BaZiCalc readers usually need—when to stop at the year animal and when to open a full two-chart method.
The twelve animals are the English labels for the twelve Earthly Branches (地支): Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (Sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig (Boar). For how year animals sit inside the larger stem–branch system, see Chinese Zodiac vs BaZi and Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
How to read the 12×12 chart
Find your year animal in the left column, your partner’s across the top (or vice versa—the matrix is symmetric for these rules), then read the cell symbol. Use this four-step pass:
- Confirm both year animals with a lunar New Year boundary in mind (not automatically 1 January)—see the FAQ and year guides if your birthday falls in January or February.
- Locate the intersecting cell in the matrix below.
- Match the symbol to the legend: Six Harmony, Three Harmony, Clash, Harm, same sign, or neutral.
- Treat the label as cultural vocabulary for conversation—not a go/no-go decision about a real relationship.
If you already know you want the deeper method that uses all four pillars, jump to BaZi Compatibility. Stay here when you need the popular year-sign chart explained without invented “love scores.”
The full 12×12 Chinese zodiac compatibility matrix
Legend: ◎ Six Harmony · ○ Three Harmony · ✕ Clash · △ Harm · = same sign · — no primary rule in this simplified map. When two rules could theoretically compete in advanced texts, this beginner matrix prioritizes Six Harmony, then Three Harmony, then Clash, then Harm.
| Rat | Ox | Tig | Rab | Dra | Sna | Hor | Goa | Mon | Roo | Dog | Pig | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | = | ◎ | — | — | ○ | — | ✕ | △ | ○ | — | — | — |
| Ox | ◎ | = | — | — | — | ○ | △ | ✕ | — | ○ | — | — |
| Tig | — | — | = | — | — | △ | ○ | — | ✕ | — | ○ | ◎ |
| Rab | — | — | — | = | △ | — | — | ○ | — | ✕ | ◎ | ○ |
| Dra | ○ | — | — | △ | = | — | — | — | ○ | ◎ | ✕ | — |
| Sna | — | ○ | △ | — | — | = | — | — | ◎ | ○ | — | ✕ |
| Hor | ✕ | △ | ○ | — | — | — | = | ◎ | — | — | ○ | — |
| Goa | △ | ✕ | — | ○ | — | — | ◎ | = | — | — | — | ○ |
| Mon | ○ | — | ✕ | — | ○ | ◎ | — | — | = | — | — | △ |
| Roo | — | ○ | — | ✕ | ◎ | ○ | — | — | — | = | △ | — |
| Dog | — | — | ○ | ◎ | ✕ | — | ○ | — | — | △ | = | — |
| Pig | — | — | ◎ | ○ | — | ✕ | — | ○ | △ | — | — | = |
Six Harmonies (六合): the six close pairs
Six Harmonies pairs sit in classical “combination” relationships and are traditionally described as complementary day-to-day partners. Each animal has exactly one Six Harmony partner in this map:
| Pair | Traditional reading (study label) |
|---|---|
| Rat – Ox | Often framed as planning meets steadiness |
| Tiger – Pig | Often framed as drive meets generosity |
| Rabbit – Dog | Often framed as tact meets loyalty |
| Dragon – Rooster | Often framed as vision meets precision |
| Snake – Monkey | Often framed as insight meets improvisation (classics also note complexity here) |
| Horse – Goat | Often framed as pace meets adaptability |
Popular “best match” lists usually start here. Remember the framing: these are archetypal study labels from branch tables, not personality tests validated on your household.
Three Harmonies (三合): the four supportive groups
Three Harmonies group three animals four places apart on the branch wheel; members of a triad are traditionally read as long-horizon allies. The four groups and their classical elemental labels are:
| Triad | Group element (classical label) |
|---|---|
| Monkey – Rat – Dragon | Water |
| Pig – Rabbit – Goat | Wood |
| Tiger – Horse – Dog | Fire |
| Snake – Rooster – Ox | Metal |
This is why a single sign can have more than one “compatible” answer. A Rat may show Six Harmony with Ox and Three Harmony with Dragon and Monkey. The systems draw different shapes; they are not auto-contradictions. For element context beyond the year animal, see Chinese Zodiac Element Chart and Five Elements in BaZi.
Six Clashes (六冲): opposite branches
Six Clashes pair animals that sit directly opposite each other on the twelve-branch cycle—six places apart. Traditional language often describes strong contrast in pace or style, sometimes with intense attraction plus friction. A clash is a classification, not a ban on dating, marrying, or collaborating.
| Clash pair | Positions (study note) |
|---|---|
| Rat – Horse | Opposite on the branch wheel |
| Ox – Goat | Opposite on the branch wheel |
| Tiger – Monkey | Opposite on the branch wheel |
| Rabbit – Rooster | Opposite on the branch wheel |
| Dragon – Dog | Opposite on the branch wheel |
| Snake – Pig | Opposite on the branch wheel |
The same opposition idea appears inside full BaZi charts when branches face each other across pillars. For combination and clash mechanics beyond the year animal alone, read BaZi Combinations and Clashes.
Six Harms (六害): friction without full opposition
Six Harms sit between “neutral” and “clash” in many beginner charts: they signal traditional awkwardness or mismatched timing without being the direct opposite pair. Common study pairs are:
- Rat – Goat
- Ox – Horse
- Tiger – Snake
- Rabbit – Dragon
- Monkey – Pig
- Rooster – Dog
Some popular matrices omit harms to keep the legend short. Including them here matches fuller comparison pages and helps you decode symbols (△) if you see them elsewhere. Advanced texts also discuss punishments (刑) and destructions (破); those belong in specialist study, not in a first-pass love chart.
Quick reference by sign
Use this table when you already know both animals and want the primary Six Harmony partner, triad allies, clash, and harm at a glance.
| Animal | Six Harmony | Three Harmony allies | Clash | Harm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | Ox | Dragon, Monkey | Horse | Goat |
| Ox | Rat | Snake, Rooster | Goat | Horse |
| Tiger | Pig | Horse, Dog | Monkey | Snake |
| Rabbit | Dog | Goat, Pig | Rooster | Dragon |
| Dragon | Rooster | Rat, Monkey | Dog | Rabbit |
| Snake | Monkey | Ox, Rooster | Pig | Tiger |
| Horse | Goat | Tiger, Dog | Rat | Ox |
| Goat | Horse | Rabbit, Pig | Ox | Rat |
| Monkey | Snake | Rat, Dragon | Tiger | Pig |
| Rooster | Dragon | Ox, Snake | Rabbit | Dog |
| Dog | Rabbit | Tiger, Horse | Dragon | Rooster |
| Pig | Tiger | Rabbit, Goat | Snake | Monkey |
Curious about a specific year animal’s biography (traits, elements, famous year ranges)? Pair this chart with Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Dragon, Year of the Goat, or Year of the Fire Horse.
Year-animal chart vs BaZi compatibility
A Chinese zodiac compatibility chart answers a calendar-classification question; BaZi compatibility answers a two-chart structural question. Both can be interesting. Only one of them uses the full birth data this site’s calculator is built for.
| Layer | Chinese zodiac chart | BaZi two-chart comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs | Two year animals (from birth years, lunar-aware) | Two full Four Pillars charts (year, month, day, hour) |
| Core units | Earthly Branch pairs / triads | Stems, branches, hidden stems, elements, Day Masters |
| Typical output | Harmony / clash / harm labels | Elemental balance, combinations, clashes across pillars, timing notes |
| Best use | Quick cultural vocabulary; party-conversation map | Deeper reflective comparison when birth times are known |
| Limit | Ignores month/day/hour; two Dragons are not “the same chart” | Needs accurate data; still not a relationship guarantee |
Two people who share a year animal can still have very different month, day, and hour pillars. That is why this site’s deeper guide lives at BaZi Compatibility, and why beginners still benefit from What Is BaZi? and BaZi for Beginners before treating any animal pair as destiny language.
Honest limits
Traditional pairing tables are cultural classification tools, not evidence that a romance will succeed or fail. They do not replace communication, counseling, medicine, finance, or law. Percentage “love scores,” invented couple stories, and guaranteed marriage forecasts are marketing patterns—not what this page offers.
Also watch the calendar boundary: Chinese year animals change at Lunar New Year (and some schools discuss Li Chun / Start of Spring for BaZi year pillars). A January birthday may belong to the previous animal depending on the year. When in doubt, check a reliable lunar conversion before locking a cell in the matrix.
Same-sign pairs and “neutral” cells
Same-sign cells (=) do not automatically mean “perfect match” or “clone conflict.” Two Rats share a year-animal label, but their month, day, and hour pillars can diverge sharply. In advanced branch theory, a few repeated branches participate in self-punishment patterns; beginners should treat “same sign” as “same year-animal vocabulary,” then decide whether a full BaZi comparison is worth the data-gathering effort.
Neutral cells (—) simply mean this simplified chart does not assign Six Harmony, Three Harmony, Clash, or Harm to that pair. Neutrality is not a romantic insult. Most everyday relationships live in mixed territory once you leave the handful of classical highlight pairs. If a popular site prints a percentage anyway, ask what formula produced it—many scores are editorial weights, not classical texts.
Love, friendship, and work: same chart, different questions
The matrix does not know whether you are asking about dating, marriage, friendship, parenting, or a co-founder match. Classical branch relationships are reused across those social frames in popular writing, which is why the same Rat–Ox Six Harmony appears in “love” articles and “business partner” listicles. Responsibly, you should restate the question in plain language first: Are we talking about shared living habits, long-horizon values, conflict style, or something else?
A useful reflective habit is to separate three layers before you argue about a cell:
- Calendar fact: Which year animals apply after a lunar-aware check?
- Traditional label: Harmony, triad, clash, harm, same, or neutral in this chart?
- Lived evidence: What do you actually observe about communication, respect, and repair after conflict?
Only the third layer can decide a relationship. The first two layers can enrich a conversation or a journaling prompt. If someone weaponizes a clash cell to control a partner, that is interpersonal harm—not “ancient wisdom.”
Lunar New Year boundaries (and why January birthdays confuse charts)
Most public Chinese zodiac quizzes change the animal at Lunar New Year, which falls between late January and mid-February. A person born 10 February may belong to a different year animal than a person born 10 January in the same Gregorian year. Some BaZi schools further discuss the solar term Li Chun (Start of Spring) for the year pillar. If your birthday sits near those boundaries, verify before you lock a matrix cell—especially for compatibility party games that ignore the issue entirely.
Practical workflow: convert both birth dates with a trusted lunar calendar tool, write down both year animals, then return to this chart. If you are already collecting exact birth times for a BaZi reading, prefer the Four Pillars path and treat the animal chart as a friendly subtitle, not the main analysis. Our Birth Time and Four Pillars guide covers why hour and timezone discipline matter once you leave year-animal shortcuts.
How popular “love percentage” tools differ from this chart
Many ranking calculators start from the same classical tables, then add editorial weights to produce a 0–100 score. One site may add points for Six Harmony, subtract for Clash, and nudge for same-sign; another may blend Western sun-sign rhetoric or name numerology. Those scores can be fun, but they are not a single canonical Chinese text. This page stays with symbol labels so you can see the underlying classification without a black-box percentage.
If you compare two online tools and get different “best matches” for the same animal, check whether one emphasizes Six Harmonies while another ranks Three Harmonies higher, and whether either includes Harms or Punishments. Disagreement between apps is often a rulebook or weighting difference—not proof that the cosmos changed overnight.
A responsible way to use the chart with a partner
Use the matrix as a shared vocabulary sheet, then switch to ordinary relationship skills. Example prompts that stay inside entertainment/self-reflection bounds:
- “Our cell is a Six Harmony—what complementary habits do we already notice without forcing the stereotype?”
- “Our cell is a Clash—where do our paces differ, and what repair ritual helps after stress?”
- “We’re neutral on this simplified map—what non-zodiac strengths keep the friendship working?”
- “Our year animals match, but our schedules and values don’t—what does that teach us about over-trusting labels?”
If the conversation turns anxious (fear of destiny, pressure to break up because of a ✕ cell), pause the astrology layer. Seek grounded support from trusted people or qualified counselors when real distress appears. Cultural charts are optional metaphors; care is not optional.
Cluster next steps on BaZiCalc
This compatibility chart is the hub page for the Chinese Zodiac Compatibility cluster. Later pair pages (for example Rabbit-focused or Horse-focused compatibility) can zoom into one animal’s row without repeating the full matrix. Until those exist, you can still combine this chart with year-animal biographies and with the BaZi combination engine when you are ready for pillar-level detail.
Recommended reading order for most visitors:
- Confirm year animals carefully (lunar-aware).
- Read the 12×12 matrix and legend on this page.
- Skim Six Harmonies / Three Harmonies / Clashes lists for your pair.
- If birth times are known and curiosity remains, open BaZi Compatibility and BaZi Combinations and Clashes.
- Optionally generate a free individual chart on the homepage calculator to learn Day Master language—still without treating it as a couple verdict.
FAQ
What is a Chinese zodiac signs compatibility chart?
It is a 12×12 (or list-based) map of how the twelve year-animals relate through traditional Earthly Branch rules such as Six Harmonies, Three Harmonies, and Six Clashes—sometimes with Harms included. People use it for love, friendship, or teamwork conversations. It is a lookup table for symbolic language, not a scientific relationship test and not a substitute for knowing the people involved.
Which Chinese zodiac signs are most compatible?
Popular answers usually point to Six Harmonies pairs (Rat–Ox, Tiger–Pig, Rabbit–Dog, Dragon–Rooster, Snake–Monkey, Horse–Goat) and Three Harmonies triad members (for example Monkey–Rat–Dragon). Different sites rank those buckets differently, and some blend in percentage formulas. On BaZiCalc we keep the classical labels visible so you can see the structure. Those labels remain traditional classifications—not guarantees of happiness, marriage, or business success.
Which signs clash?
The Six Clashes are Rat–Horse, Ox–Goat, Tiger–Monkey, Rabbit–Rooster, Dragon–Dog, and Snake–Pig. Clash language describes contrast and friction themes in the tradition; it does not mean two people “cannot” get along.
How do I find my Chinese zodiac sign for the chart?
Use your birth year with a lunar New Year boundary (and, for BaZi year pillars, be aware some methods discuss Li Chun). January and early-February birthdays need a calendar check. Year guides on this site list common year ranges for reflection—not civil-identity proof.
Is Chinese zodiac compatibility the same as BaZi compatibility?
No. Zodiac charts compare year animals. BaZi compatibility compares two full Four Pillars charts. Same year animals can still differ sharply once month, day, and hour enter the picture.
Does a clash mean a relationship cannot work?
No. In reflective practice, a clash is a reminder to expect different tempos and to communicate clearly. Real outcomes depend on people, not on a matrix cell.
Can this chart predict marriage success?
No. BaZiCalc does not predict marriage, divorce, or soulmate status. Use the chart as cultural literacy and conversation structure only.
Next step: from year animals to a full chart
You now have a comparison-format answer to “chinese zodiac signs compatibility chart”: a 12×12 matrix, Six Harmonies, Three Harmonies, Six Clashes, Six Harms, a per-sign lookup, and a clear line between year-animal pairing and BaZi two-chart work. The natural next step on this site is the system we actually compute.
Keep learning: BaZi Compatibility, BaZi Combinations and Clashes, Chinese Zodiac vs BaZi, Chinese Zodiac Element Chart, and the Guides hub.
Optional free chart: Generate your BaZi chart on the BaZiCalc homepage to inspect Day Master and element balance as a separate, time-based reflective tool. The homepage also offers an optional paid written reflection—an entertainment product with no promises about love, money, health, or legal results (see options on the homepage). Nothing in the animal matrix says a relationship will succeed or fail.