Your sign may clash with the people around you more than you think
About you · 5 min read · Updated 2 October 2026
In short
Chinese astrology pairs the twelve animals in a few fixed ways: best matches, teams of three that pull the same way, opposites that clash, and a handful of awkward pairs. The chart below shows all of them. But those pairings only compare the years two people were born in. Your month, day and hour have animals too, and any of them can clash with someone else's, so two people whose years match perfectly can still rub each other the wrong way. A fuller reading compares both whole charts.
The compatibility chart
Find your animal down the side and the other person's along the top. The list underneath spells out each animal's matches, so you do not have to squint at the grid.
- BestBest match. The six pairs tradition rates highest (六合).
- TeamSame team. Four groups of three that pull the same way (三合).
- ClashClash. Opposite each other on the wheel (六沖).
- AwkwardAwkward. Pairs that tend to rub each other the wrong way (六害).
- SameSame sign. Two people born in the same animal's year.
- ·Neutral. No traditional pairing either way.
| Rat | Ox | Tiger | Rabbit | Dragon | Snake | Horse | Goat | Monkey | Rooster | Dog | Pig | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | Same | Best | · | · | Team | · | Clash | Awkward | Team | · | · | · |
| Ox | Best | Same | · | · | · | Team | Awkward | Clash | · | Team | · | · |
| Tiger | · | · | Same | · | · | Awkward | Team | · | Clash | · | Team | Best |
| Rabbit | · | · | · | Same | Awkward | · | · | Team | · | Clash | Best | Team |
| Dragon | Team | · | · | Awkward | Same | · | · | · | Team | Best | Clash | · |
| Snake | · | Team | Awkward | · | · | Same | · | · | Best | Team | · | Clash |
| Horse | Clash | Awkward | Team | · | · | · | Same | Best | · | · | Team | · |
| Goat | Awkward | Clash | · | Team | · | · | Best | Same | · | · | · | Team |
| Monkey | Team | · | Clash | · | Team | Best | · | · | Same | · | · | Awkward |
| Rooster | · | Team | · | Clash | Best | Team | · | · | · | Same | Awkward | · |
| Dog | · | · | Team | Best | Clash | · | Team | · | · | Awkward | Same | · |
| Pig | · | · | Best | Team | · | Clash | · | Team | Awkward | · | · | Same |
- Rat子
- Best match: Ox. Same team: Dragon and Monkey (the Water group). Clashes with Horse. Awkward with Goat.
- Ox丑
- Best match: Rat. Same team: Snake and Rooster (the Metal group). Clashes with Goat. Awkward with Horse.
- Tiger寅
- Best match: Pig. Same team: Horse and Dog (the Fire group). Clashes with Monkey. Awkward with Snake.
- Rabbit卯
- Best match: Dog. Same team: Goat and Pig (the Wood group). Clashes with Rooster. Awkward with Dragon.
- Dragon辰
- Best match: Rooster. Same team: Rat and Monkey (the Water group). Clashes with Dog. Awkward with Rabbit.
- Snake巳
- Best match: Monkey. Same team: Ox and Rooster (the Metal group). Clashes with Pig. Awkward with Tiger.
- Horse午
- Best match: Goat. Same team: Tiger and Dog (the Fire group). Clashes with Rat. Awkward with Ox.
- Goat未
- Best match: Horse. Same team: Rabbit and Pig (the Wood group). Clashes with Ox. Awkward with Rat.
- Monkey申
- Best match: Snake. Same team: Rat and Dragon (the Water group). Clashes with Tiger. Awkward with Pig.
- Rooster酉
- Best match: Dragon. Same team: Ox and Snake (the Metal group). Clashes with Rabbit. Awkward with Dog.
- Dog戌
- Best match: Rabbit. Same team: Tiger and Horse (the Fire group). Clashes with Dragon. Awkward with Rooster.
- Pig亥
- Best match: Tiger. Same team: Rabbit and Goat (the Wood group). Clashes with Snake. Awkward with Monkey.
Where the pairings come from
The twelve animals sit around a wheel in a fixed order, starting with the Rat. Each pairing describes a position on that wheel, which is why the same pairs turn up in every book and app.
Opposites clash. Animals six places apart sit directly across the wheel from each other: Rat and Horse, Ox and Goat, Tiger and Monkey, Rabbit and Rooster, Dragon and Dog, Snake and Pig.
Teams of three are spaced four places apart and share an element. Monkey, Rat and Dragon make the water team; Pig, Rabbit and Goat the wood team; Tiger, Horse and Dog the fire team; Snake, Rooster and Ox the metal team.
Best matches are six fixed pairs that tradition says combine: Rat and Ox, Tiger and Pig, Rabbit and Dog, Dragon and Rooster, Snake and Monkey, Horse and Goat. The awkward pairs, usually called harms, are six more that tend to rub each other the wrong way.
Why a clash is not a verdict
Your year animal is one of eight characters in a Bazi chart. The month, day and hour each have an animal too, so two people who clash by year can line up well everywhere else, and two perfect year matches can clash where it counts.
When a Bazi reading compares two people, it starts with their day masters, the characters that stand for each person, and asks how those two elements treat each other: whether one feeds the other, keeps it in check or simply mirrors it. It looks at the animal under each day master, the spot traditionally read as the relationship, and checks whether the two clash or combine. And it looks at balance: whether each person brings something the other is short of.
None of that shows up in the year alone, which is why two people with a textbook clash can be the steadiest couple you know.
Common questions
Which Chinese zodiac signs are most compatible?
By tradition, the best matches are Rat and Ox, Tiger and Pig, Rabbit and Dog, Dragon and Rooster, Snake and Monkey, and Horse and Goat. Animals in the same team of three also get on well: Monkey, Rat and Dragon; Pig, Rabbit and Goat; Tiger, Horse and Dog; and Snake, Rooster and Ox.
Which signs clash?
The six pairs opposite each other on the wheel: Rat and Horse, Ox and Goat, Tiger and Monkey, Rabbit and Rooster, Dragon and Dog, and Snake and Pig.
My partner and I are a clash. Should we worry?
Not on that basis. A year clash compares one of eight characters each. In Bazi the day pillars carry far more weight for a relationship, and plenty of couples who clash by year are well matched there.
Can compatibility be checked from two birthdays?
Yes. Two birth dates give two charts, and the comparison works on the whole chart rather than the year. Birth times add the hour characters and sharpen it, but a date alone is enough to start.
Compare two charts
8 Signs puts your chart next to a partner's or a friend's and shows where you click and where you clash. Free to start.
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