Zodiac compatibility · the twelve earthly branches
Monkey compatibility: the signs that click and the signs that clash
The Monkey’s branch, 申, is early autumn and freshly forged metal. Tradition reads it as quick wits, versatility and humour.
- Branch and element
- 申 · Metal
- Triangle of affinity (三合)
- 申子辰 · Monkey · Rat · Dragon
- Six Harmonies partner (六合)
- 巳 · Snake
- Opposite sign (沖)
- 寅 · Tiger
The Monkey 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 Monkey
Linked by a triangle of affinity or the Six Harmonies.
- Rat 子Triangle of affinity (三合)
- Dragon 辰Triangle of affinity (三合)
- Snake 巳Six Harmonies (六合)Punishment (刑)Break (破)
The Monkey forms the 申子辰 triangle of affinity with the Rat and the Dragon, read as a group that never runs out of ideas. The Snake is its Six Harmonies partner (巳申), with a punishment and a break attached: choose conversations that look for an answer together rather than a winner.
Signs said to rub against the Monkey
A clash, resentment, punishment, harm or break, with no triangle or Six Harmonies.
The Tiger is the Monkey’s clash (寅申), with a punishment too: split roles from the start. The Rabbit is a resentment pair, so ask where its line for jokes is. The Pig brings harm (申亥); if it goes quiet, ask what bothered it.
Signs read as neutral for the Monkey
Only the same season, or no named relation at all.
The Rooster and the Dog share the Monkey’s autumn season (申酉戌). The Ox, the Horse and the Goat have no named relation with it; humour breaks the ice, steady contact builds trust.
Two people born under the Monkey, as tradition reads it
Two Monkeys share a sense of humour and tend to slip out of serious talks with a joke. Agree on a signal for “now, seriously”.
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.
Monkey compatibility: common questions
Which signs suit the Monkey?
The Rat and the Dragon (the 申子辰 triangle of affinity) and the Snake (巳申, Six Harmonies), with whom a punishment and a break also apply.
Are the Monkey and the Tiger really a bad match?
They clash (寅申) and share the 寅巳申 punishment group. With one shared goal instead of a contest, they can make a very fast team.
Are the Monkey and the Rabbit a resentment pair?
Yes (卯申): playful teasing can wound a sensitive partner. Check the mood before the joke.
Is someone born in January 1992 a Monkey?
No. Ipchun fell on February 4 in 1992, so January births belong to the Goat; the 壬申 Monkey year starts at Ipchun.
Monkey 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 Monkey covers births from each Ipchun below to the day before the next one.
Born between January 1 and February 3, 1992? Then the sign is the previous year’s Goat, while someone born between January 1 and February 3, 1993 still counts as a Monkey.
Births 1932–2016; the sign starts at that year’s Ipchun
- 1932 壬申 · from February 5
- 1944 甲申 · from February 5
- 1956 丙申 · from February 5
- 1968 戊申 · from February 5
- 1980 庚申 · from February 5
- 1992 壬申 · from February 4
- 2004 甲申 · from February 4
- 2016 丙申 · 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.