Zodiac compatibility · the twelve earthly branches
Dragon compatibility: the signs that click and the signs that clash
The Dragon’s branch, 辰, is late spring and damp earth. The only mythical animal of the twelve, it stands for change and big plans.
- Branch and element
- 辰 · Earth
- Triangle of affinity (三合)
- 申子辰 · Monkey · Rat · Dragon
- Six Harmonies partner (六合)
- 酉 · Rooster
- Opposite sign (沖)
- 戌 · Dog
The Dragon and the other eleven signs
These relations come from the traditional tables of the twelve earthly branches. The names are symbols for how two people tend to meet; they do not decide whether a relationship works. The character sketches of each sign are tradition’s pictures too, not a description of the people born in that year.
Signs said to suit the Dragon
Linked by a triangle of affinity or the Six Harmonies.
The Dragon forms the 申子辰 triangle of affinity with the Rat and the Monkey: the Dragon draws the big picture, the Rat brings information and the Monkey skill. The Rooster is its Six Harmonies partner (辰酉), read as polish to the Dragon’s ambition. Check in before each next step so partners can keep up.
Signs said to rub against the Dragon
A clash, resentment, punishment, harm or break, with no triangle or Six Harmonies.
The Dog is the Dragon’s clash (辰戌): two earths, one dreaming wide, one guarding principles. With the Pig, a resentment pair, a generous partner may let hurts pile up, so listen early. The Ox brings a break (丑辰) and the Rabbit harm (卯辰); with the Rabbit, a shared spring season makes closeness easy and unspoken expectations easier still.
Signs read as neutral for the Dragon
Only the same season, or no named relation at all.
The Tiger shares the Dragon’s spring season (寅卯辰). The Snake, the Horse and the Goat have no named relation with it; letting them set the pace helps.
Two people born under the Dragon, as tradition reads itSelf-punishment (自刑)
Two Dragons form a self-punishment (自刑) pair: big dreams, strong pride, and stubbornness in plain view. Decide in advance who makes the final call.
In the end, compatibility is how you treat each other
Zodiac compatibility looks at one thing only: the year each person was born. Two people with the same pair of signs can get along in completely different ways, so how you listen and how you make up after a disagreement matters far more than any name in the table. For a fuller picture, try a saju reading with both birth dates, or the personality-based pages below.
Dragon compatibility: common questions
Which signs suit the Dragon?
The Rat and the Monkey (the 申子辰 triangle of affinity) and the Rooster (辰酉, Six Harmonies).
Are the Dragon and the Dog really a bad match?
They clash (辰戌), so tradition expects friction over priorities. Imagination plus realism can also make balanced decisions.
Are the Dragon and the Pig a resentment pair?
Yes (辰亥): kindness that goes unnoticed can turn into hurt. Say thanks, and say what hurts.
Is someone born in January 1988 a Dragon?
No. Ipchun fell on February 4 in 1988, so January births belong to the Rabbit; the 戊辰 Dragon year starts at Ipchun.
Dragon birth years (from Ipchun)
In the saju calendar the sign changes at Ipchun, the start of spring (around 4 February), not on January 1. The Dragon covers births from each Ipchun below to the day before the next one.
Born between January 1 and February 3, 1988? Then the sign is the previous year’s Rabbit, while someone born between January 1 and February 3, 1989 still counts as a Dragon.
Births 1928–2024; the sign starts at that year’s Ipchun
- 1928 戊辰 · from February 5
- 1940 庚辰 · from February 5
- 1952 壬辰 · from February 5
- 1964 甲辰 · from February 5
- 1976 丙辰 · from February 5
- 1988 戊辰 · from February 4
- 2000 庚辰 · from February 4
- 2012 壬辰 · from February 4
- 2024 甲辰 · from February 4
Born on Ipchun day itself? The sign then depends on the exact time of Ipchun. Dates are in Korea Standard Time.
This page introduces traditional relations between the zodiac signs, for fun and reflection. Zodiac compatibility is a long-standing East Asian cultural tradition, not a scientifically validated prediction. This page does not promise how any relationship will turn out. Rather than deciding anything by a sign, talk things through with each other.
How to use this content
- This page is reference content for self-understanding and light interpretation, not a diagnostic or evaluative tool.
- It should not replace medical, legal, financial, or hiring decisions, and important choices need stronger evidence than a self-test.
- Use the result for reflection or entertainment only, and seek professional support first when distress or risk is involved.