Six Harmony
Six traditional pairs that complete each other. The strongest match.
Rat–Ox, Tiger–Pig, Rabbit–Dog, Dragon–Rooster, Snake–Monkey, Horse–Goat
Chinese zodiac compatibility
Pick two signs to see how they match in the traditional system, and why. Don't know a sign yet? Find it from a birthday.
Or tap any square in the chart below.
Horse + Goat Best match
Six Harmony
Horse and Goat are one of the six traditional pairs. Each is said to supply what the other lacks, which makes this the strongest match on the wheel.
Best matches for Horse: Goat, Dog, Tiger. Clashes with: Rat.
Chinese zodiac compatibility chart
- Best match (Six Harmony)
- Great match (Three Harmony)
- Same sign (Same sign)
- Neutral (No special bond)
- Some friction (Six Harm)
- Clash (Six Clash)
RatOxTigerRabbitDragonSnakeHorseGoatMonkeyRoosterDogPig Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig
What the matches mean
Three Harmony
Four groups of three signs, four years apart, said to share goals and temperament.
Rat–Dragon–Monkey, Ox–Snake–Rooster, Tiger–Horse–Dog, Rabbit–Goat–Pig
Six Clash
Signs six years apart, opposite on the wheel. The pairing tradition warns about most.
Rat–Horse, Ox–Goat, Tiger–Monkey, Rabbit–Rooster, Dragon–Dog, Snake–Pig
Six Harm
Six pairs seen as prone to small misunderstandings rather than open conflict.
Rat–Goat, Ox–Horse, Tiger–Snake, Rabbit–Dragon, Monkey–Pig, Rooster–Dog
How Chinese zodiac compatibility works
Picture the 12 animals around a clock face, Rat at the top and the rest in order. The traditional pairings come from where two signs sit on that wheel.
Signs four places apart form a group of three, such as Rat, Dragon and Monkey. These three harmony groups are said to want the same things, so they work well together as partners, friends or coworkers. Signs six places apart sit directly opposite each other, which is the six clash: their habits and pace pull in different directions. The six harmony pairs come from a separate pairing in which each earthly branch has exactly one partner; Rat with Ox and Horse with Goat are the best known. The six harm pairs are the ones tradition expects to rub each other the wrong way in small, everyday things.
Everything else is neutral. A neutral pair has no special bond and no built-in conflict, which is the most common result and nothing to worry about.
Best and worst matches for each sign
The same rules, written out for every sign. The six harmony partner comes first, then the two three harmony partners.
| Sign | Best matches | Clashes with | Harm with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | Ox, Dragon, Monkey | Horse | Goat |
| Ox | Rat, Snake, Rooster | Goat | Horse |
| Tiger | Pig, Horse, Dog | Monkey | Snake |
| Rabbit | Dog, Goat, Pig | Rooster | Dragon |
| Dragon | Rooster, Monkey, Rat | Dog | Rabbit |
| Snake | Monkey, Rooster, Ox | Pig | Tiger |
| Horse | Goat, Dog, Tiger | Rat | Ox |
| Goat | Horse, Pig, Rabbit | Ox | Rat |
| Monkey | Snake, Rat, Dragon | Tiger | Pig |
| Rooster | Dragon, Ox, Snake | Rabbit | Dog |
| Dog | Rabbit, Tiger, Horse | Dragon | Rooster |
| Pig | Tiger, Rabbit, Goat | Snake | Monkey |
How to use the Chinese zodiac compatibility calculator
- Find both signs first. If either person was born in January or February, use the birthday finder, because the sign follows Lunar New Year rather than January 1.
- Pick your sign in the first box and theirs in the second, or tap the square where their row and column meet in the chart.
- Read the result: the name of the pairing, why tradition sees it that way, and the best matches and clash for your sign.
Chinese zodiac love compatibility
Most people look up compatibility for a partner. In Chinese tradition the zodiac was one of several things families checked before a match, alongside the couple's elements and full birth charts, and a clash was a reason for a closer look rather than a ban. Today it is mostly a fun way to talk about how two people differ: the Horse who wants to be out the door and the Rat who wants a plan, or the Ox and the Goat who keep different hours. If your signs clash, the tradition's own advice is balance and patience, not a breakup.
Questions about compatibility
Which Chinese zodiac signs are most compatible?
Each sign has one Six Harmony partner and two Three Harmony partners. Pick your sign above and the result lists all three.
Our signs clash. Does that mean we are a bad match?
No. It is a folk tradition, and many couples with clashing signs do well. Use it as a conversation starter, not a verdict.
Should I use the birth year or the birthday?
Use the zodiac sign, which depends on the full birthday for anyone born in January or February. Find each person's sign on the home page first.
What if we have the same sign?
Two people with the same animal usually understand each other quickly, because they share the same strengths. They also share the same blind spots, so neither one balances the other out.
Do the elements change compatibility?
In the fuller tradition, yes. The five elements feed each other in a cycle (Wood feeds Fire, Fire makes Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal carries Water, Water nourishes Wood) and check each other in another (Wood parts Earth, Earth dams Water, Water puts out Fire, Fire melts Metal, Metal cuts Wood). This page uses the animal pairings only, which is what most people mean by zodiac compatibility.
Compatibility here follows Chinese folk tradition. It is for fun and does not decide a relationship.