Zodiac compatibility · the twelve earthly branches
Rat compatibility: the signs that click and the signs that clash
The Rat’s branch, 子, stands for midnight and the water of deep winter. Tradition puts it first of the twelve and reads it as quick wits and resourcefulness.
- Branch and element
- 子 · Water
- Triangle of affinity (三合)
- 申子辰 · Monkey · Rat · Dragon
- Six Harmonies partner (六合)
- 丑 · Ox
- Opposite sign (沖)
- 午 · Horse
The Rat 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 Rat
Linked by a triangle of affinity or the Six Harmonies.
- Dragon 辰Triangle of affinity (三合)
- Monkey 申Triangle of affinity (三合)
- Ox 丑Six Harmonies (六合)Same season (方合)
The Rat forms the 申子辰 triangle of affinity with the Dragon and the Monkey: a team that shares information and starts things together. The Ox is its Six Harmonies partner and shares its winter season too, a steady pair for a fast mind. Close teams can take each other for granted, so say thank you out loud.
Signs said to rub against the Rat
A clash, resentment, punishment, harm or break, with no triangle or Six Harmonies.
The Horse sits opposite the Rat in a clash (子午), read as different rhythms, strong pull and frequent friction, so ask about each other’s pace before making plans. With the Goat, resentment and harm both apply; small hurts are best mentioned the same day. The Rabbit brings a punishment (子卯) and the Rooster a break (子酉): soften corrections with the first, and double-check shared plans with the second.
Signs read as neutral for the Rat
Only the same season, or no named relation at all.
The Pig shares the Rat’s winter season (亥子丑), so the mood is read as familiar. With the Tiger, the Snake and the Dog, tradition names no relation: no special pull and no friction, so the relationship is whatever you build together.
Two people born under the Rat, as tradition reads it
Two Rats think fast and read the room alike, which can mean guessing at each other instead of asking. Say your thoughts out loud before big decisions.
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.
Rat compatibility: common questions
Which signs suit the Rat?
Tradition names the Dragon and the Monkey (the 申子辰 triangle of affinity) and the Ox (子丑, Six Harmonies).
Are the Rat and the Horse really a bad match?
They form a clash (子午), so tradition expects friction. Opposites can also fill each other’s gaps; respecting each other’s pace goes a long way.
What does resentment mean for the Rat and the Goat?
Resentment and harm both apply to 子未, read today as small misunderstandings piling up. Mention them early and kindly.
Which years are Rat years?
1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 and 2020, each from Ipchun. Ipchun fell on February 5 in 1984, so a birth on February 4, 1984 belongs to the Pig.
Rat 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 Rat covers births from each Ipchun below to the day before the next one.
Born between January 1 and February 4, 1984? Then the sign is the previous year’s Pig, while someone born between January 1 and February 3, 1985 still counts as a Rat.
Births 1924–2020; the sign starts at that year’s Ipchun
- 1924 甲子 · from February 5
- 1936 丙子 · from February 5
- 1948 戊子 · from February 5
- 1960 庚子 · from February 5
- 1972 壬子 · from February 5
- 1984 甲子 · from February 5
- 1996 丙子 · from February 4
- 2008 戊子 · from February 4
- 2020 庚子 · 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.