Chinese Zodiac Compatibility Chart

In the Chinese zodiac each year is linked to one of twelve animals, and traditional astrology pairs some animals as natural allies and others as clashes. Enter two birth dates and the calculator finds each person’s animal — correctly handling January and February birthdays by working out that year’s Lunar New Year — then shows their traditional compatibility and the full chart.

The twelve animals

Each zodiac year begins at Lunar New Year, which falls between 21 January and 20 February, so people born in January or early February usually belong to the previous year’s animal. The calculator works out the exact Lunar New Year date for each year.

Traditional compatibility groups

Elements and yin–yang

Each year also has one of five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — each lasting two years, giving a 60-year cycle (for example, 1990 was a Metal Horse year and 2026 is a Fire Horse year). Years ending in an even digit are yang and odd digits yin. Traditional readings consider the elements too: Wood feeds Fire, Fire makes Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal carries Water and Water nourishes Wood.

How the Lunar New Year date is calculated

The Chinese calendar is lunisolar. Lunar New Year usually falls on the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice, counted in China’s time zone. The calculator finds the solstice and new moons astronomically, using the same planetary and lunar formulas as our astronomy tools, and has been checked against published Lunar New Year dates from 1929 to 2038. Rare years with extra leap months can follow special rules; if your birthday is within a day of Lunar New Year, check a published calendar too.

Worked example

Person A was born on 10 February 1992. Lunar New Year in 1992 fell on 4 February, so A is a Monkey (Water Monkey, 1992). Person B, born 21 July 1988, is a Dragon (Earth Dragon). Dragon and Monkey are four years apart in the Rat–Dragon–Monkey triangle, so the chart marks them as a best match (Three Harmonies). Had A been born on 1 February 1992, before Lunar New Year, A would have been a Goat.

The animal order and its legend

The order of the twelve animals — Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig — is explained in a well-known folk tale, the Great Race, in which the animals raced across a river to reach the Jade Emperor. The clever Rat rode on the Ox’s back and jumped ahead at the finish to take first place. Variations of the story explain why the Cat is missing from the Chinese zodiac, though Vietnam’s zodiac includes the Cat in place of the Rabbit.

Upcoming zodiac years

Using the compatibility chart

1. Enter both birth dates.
2. Read each person’s animal, element and yin–yang.
3. See the traditional relationship between the two signs.
4. Use the 12 × 12 chart to compare any pair; your pair is highlighted.

A balanced view

Chinese zodiac compatibility is a cultural tradition, enjoyed at festivals, weddings and family gatherings. It is not scientifically validated, and no chart can predict how two real people will get along. Use it for fun and conversation, alongside the things that really make relationships work: respect, communication and shared values.