Chinese zodiac compatibility
Enter two birthdays to find each person’s exact animal and see how tradition rates the match: best friends, secret friends, or a clash.
Check two animals
Enter both birthdays, or choose both animals. Birthdays give the exact animal, even in January and February.
Compatibility chart
Traditional ratings. Select any cell for the full pairing guide.
| Animal | Rat | Ox | Tiger | Rabbit | Dragon | Snake | Horse | Goat | Monkey | Rooster | Dog | Pig |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Ox | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Tiger | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Rabbit | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Dragon | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Snake | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Horse | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Goat | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Monkey | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Rooster | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Dog | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Pig | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
5 = excellent (best match or secret friends), 4 = good (same animal), 3 = average, 2 = challenging (clash or harm).
How Chinese zodiac matches work
- Trines (best match). The 12 animals form four groups of three that are said to think alike: Rat, Dragon, Monkey · Ox, Snake, Rooster · Tiger, Horse, Dog · Rabbit, Goat, Pig.
- Six harmonies (secret friends). Rat and Ox, Tiger and Pig, Rabbit and Dog, Dragon and Rooster, Snake and Monkey, Horse and Goat.
- Clashes. Animals six years apart are opposites: Rat and Horse, Ox and Goat, Tiger and Monkey, Rabbit and Rooster, Dragon and Dog, Snake and Pig.
- Harms. Rat and Goat, Ox and Horse, Tiger and Snake, Rabbit and Dragon, Monkey and Pig, Rooster and Dog.
Full Chinese astrology also considers the element of the year (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and the month, day, and hour of birth. This tool uses the year animal only.
Your animal starts at Lunar New Year
The animal year begins at Lunar New Year, which falls between late January and mid-February. If your birthday is in January or early February, check that year’s Lunar New Year date: you may belong to the previous animal.
Years for each animal
| Animal | Recent birth years | Traditional best matches |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 | Ox, Dragon, Monkey |
| Ox | 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 | Rat, Snake, Rooster |
| Tiger | 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 | Horse, Dog, Pig |
| Rabbit | 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 | Goat, Dog, Pig |
| Dragon | 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 | Rat, Monkey, Rooster |
| Snake | 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 | Ox, Monkey, Rooster |
| Horse | 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 | Tiger, Goat, Dog |
| Goat | 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 | Rabbit, Horse, Pig |
| Monkey | 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 | Rat, Dragon, Snake |
| Rooster | 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 | Ox, Dragon, Snake |
| Dog | 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 | Tiger, Rabbit, Horse |
| Pig | 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 | Tiger, Rabbit, Goat |
There is no scientific evidence that birth-year animals predict relationships. For something more useful, take the couple quiz together or read what research says makes couples compatible.