Rat compatibility
The Rat’s Earthly Branch is Ja (子), and its Five Elements energy is Water. Below, we go through how it relates to each of the other eleven signs, one by one.
The Rat and the other eleven signs
Zodiac compatibility is read from the relationship between two people’s Earthly Branch (地支). Six Harmony and Three Harmony are bonds that tie together and gather, while Clash, Resentment (Wonjin), and Punishment are ones that shake things up and pull apart.
| Partner | Relation | Rating | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ox | Six Harmony | Best | A bond that ties the two of you into a stable pair. When you join hands, things go smoothly. Earth controls Water, so you’ll tend to end up adjusting to the Ox’s standards. |
| Tiger | None | Fair | No notable Punishment, Clash, or Harmony here. Nothing outside shakes you up or pushes you along, so you get out exactly what you put in. Water generates (生) Wood, so the Rat usually ends up being the giver. |
| Rabbit | Punishment | Caution | Paperwork, legal matters, health — the things that need sorting out come to the surface in this relationship. Read everything one more time before you sign. Water generates (生) Wood, so the Rat usually ends up being the giver. |
| Dragon | Three Harmony | Best | A relationship where your energy gathers in the same direction. Whatever you start together, you can see through to the end. Earth controls Water, so you’ll tend to end up adjusting to the Dragon’s standards. |
| Snake | None | Fair | No notable Punishment, Clash, or Harmony here. Nothing outside shakes you up or pushes you along, so you get out exactly what you put in. Water controls (剋) Fire, so the Rat easily takes the lead. |
| Horse | Clash | Caution | A head-on collision. It’s not bad luck but movement, so when you need to make a change, it actually becomes a strength. Water controls (剋) Fire, so the Rat easily takes the lead. |
| Goat | Resentment | Caution | A relationship with a friction that’s hard to explain. It’s better handled by managing distance than by trying to reason it out. Earth controls Water, so you’ll tend to end up adjusting to the Goat’s standards. |
| Monkey | Three Harmony | Best | A relationship where your energy gathers in the same direction. Whatever you start together, you can see through to the end. Metal generates Water, so the Rat is on the receiving end. |
| Rooster | Destruction | Fair | A relationship that breaks things (Destruction). What you’re working on tends to get cut off midway, so it’s better to wrap things up early. Metal generates Water, so the Rat is on the receiving end. |
| Dog | None | Fair | No notable Punishment, Clash, or Harmony here. Nothing outside shakes you up or pushes you along, so you get out exactly what you put in. Earth controls Water, so you’ll tend to end up adjusting to the Dog’s standards. |
| Pig | Directional Harmony | Good | You share the energy of the same season, so your vibes are alike. Comfortable, but not much fresh spark. You both carry Water energy, so you understand each other easily — but you also share the same weak spots. |
What the Rat is like in relationships
Quick-witted and perceptive. With a sharp eye for opportunity, Rats find a way out even in a crisis. On the flip side, they worry a lot and sometimes miss their moment while weighing things up.
Even in love, the Rat’s head moves first. They pick up signals from a partner’s expression and tone quickly, so their care is spot-on. But all the weighing and calculating means the confession comes late — and sometimes the other person gets tired of waiting and walks away. The Rat needs to practice taking a step forward before feeling completely sure.
In Five Elements terms, the Rat is Water. It’s a flowing, seeping energy that adapts easily to any situation. But it’s hard to tell what’s going on inside, which leads to misunderstandings.
What the Rat often hears in relationships
“You overthink everything.” This is where the Rat gives it their all, in their own way, yet it lands differently for the other person. Good compatibility means your partner understands it without needing an explanation — or something close to that.
Why the Rat clicks · Why the Rat clashes
With the Ox — Six Harmony
A bond that ties the two of you into a stable pair. When you join hands, things go smoothly. The Ox may seem slow, but always goes the distance. Paired with the Rat’s quick-witted, room-reading nature, you fill in each other’s gaps.
With the Dragon — Three Harmony
A relationship where your energy gathers in the same direction. Whatever you start together, you can see through to the end. The Dragon has a big presence and operates on a big scale. Paired with the Rat’s quick-witted, room-reading nature, you fill in each other’s gaps.
With the Horse — Clash
A head-on collision. It’s not bad luck but movement, so when you need to make a change, it actually becomes a strength. The Horse is active and free-spirited. Paired with the Rat’s quick-witted, room-reading nature, your pace and direction can easily fall out of sync.
With the Goat — Resentment (Wonjin)
A relationship with a friction that’s hard to explain. It’s better handled by managing distance than by trying to reason it out. The Goat is warm-hearted and deeply caring. Paired with the Rat’s quick-witted, room-reading nature, your pace and direction can easily fall out of sync.
With the Monkey — Three Harmony
A relationship where your energy gathers in the same direction. Whatever you start together, you can see through to the end. The Monkey is multi-talented and great at improvising. Paired with the Rat’s quick-witted, room-reading nature, you fill in each other’s gaps.
Why your zodiac sign alone isn’t enough
Even two Rats will have completely different eight saju characters if they were born in a different month, on a different day, or at a different hour. Your zodiac sign is only one of them. People born in 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 and so on are all Rats, and there’s no way they all share the same saju.
In saju, the first place to look when reading compatibility is the Day Branch (日支). It’s the lower character of the day you were born, and it’s also called the Spouse Palace. If two people’s Day Branches form a Six Harmony, life together feels easy; if they Clash, you’ll find yourselves on the move together a lot.
Next comes the Day Master (日干). Whether the two Day Masters generate (生) or control (剋) each other determines who takes the lead and whose energy gets spent. Finally, we check whether each person’s Useful God is supplied by the other — when it is, being together fills in what each of you lacks.
In short, the reading gets more precise in this order: zodiac sign → Day Branch → Day Master → complementary Useful Gods . Zodiac compatibility is the outermost layer.
FAQ
Which sign is the Rat most compatible with?
The Ox, Dragon, and Monkey. Six Harmony is a bond that brings stability, and Three Harmony is a bond where energy gathers in the same direction, so the saju tradition sees these as the best pairings.
Which signs aren’t a good match for the Rat?
The Rabbit, Horse, and Goat. That said, a Clash isn’t bad luck — it’s movement. It pushes both of you to change, so it can actually be a powerful pairing when you’re starting something new together. Resentment (Wonjin) is friction without a clear reason, so it calls for keeping a healthy distance; with Punishment, make paperwork and promises crystal clear.
Can you decide on marriage from zodiac compatibility alone?
No. Your zodiac sign is just one Earthly Branch from the year you were born. Real compatibility depends far more on the stem and branch of the Day you were born (your Day Pillar). In particular, the Day Branch is the Spouse Palace, so the relationship between two people’s Day Branches comes first. Enter your birth dates to see a free compatibility reading based on your Day Pillars.
If a Clash shows up in our compatibility, should we break up?
Not at all. A Clash (冲) is when two branches meet head-on and create movement. It can be tiring when you want stability, but when you need change — moving, starting a business, switching careers — it becomes a force that pushes you both forward. In fact, plenty of long-lasting couples have a Clash relationship.
Which birth years are the Rat?
Those born in 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, and 2020.
Compatibility for the other signs
More for the Rat
What does Jeombom base its saju calculations on?
Jeombom is a Korean saju service that builds its saju calendar from the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute’s solar-term data and corrects your birth time to true solar time to calculate the eight characters of your chart.
| Item | Jeombom standard |
|---|---|
| Solar terms · saju calendar | Solar-term data from the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) |
| Birth time | True solar time correction — subtracts the 30-minute gap between standard time (135°E) and central Korea (about 127.5°E), adjusted by the equation of time, which varies by date |
| Daylight saving time | 12 periods applied: 1948–1951, 1955–1960, 1987–1988 |
| Former standard time | 127.5°E period from Mar 21, 1954 to Aug 9, 1961 applied |
| Input | Solar birth date (convert a lunar birthday to solar before entering) |
Why correct for true solar time?
Because clock time and the sun’s actual time can be about 30 minutes apart. If you were born during daylight saving time or the former standard time period, your Hour Pillar can shift by one slot without the correction. Detailed records are in Korean Standard Time records and Hour Pillar check. For what to check when choosing a free saju reading, see How to choose a free saju reading.
Where can I see the sources behind Jeombom’s readings?
- Korea Law Information Center — Standard Time Act
- National Institute of Korean Language Standard Dictionary — meaning of “saju palja”
- Wikipedia (Korean) — Saju palja
- Wikipedia (Korean) — Korean Standard Time (daylight saving history)
- KASI Astronomy Knowledge Portal — monthly solar/lunar calendar
Can I take the horoscope results at face value?
Jeombom’s fortune results are entertainment content, for fun and reference. For important decisions about health, law or investing, please consult a qualified professional.