The Twelve Earthly Branches and the Korean Zodiac Animals
The twelve earthly branches (지지, 地支, jiji) are the bottom characters of the four pillars. Most people know them through the zodiac animals, called tti (띠) in Korean. Your animal sign comes from the branch of your year pillar, but branches also mark months, days and hours, so a full chart contains four of them.
The twelve branches
| Branch | Animal | Element | Hours | Month begins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 子 Ja (자) | 🐀 Rat | Water | 23:00–01:00 | around December 7 |
| 丑 Chuk (축) | 🐂 Ox | Earth | 01:00–03:00 | around January 6 |
| 寅 In (인) | 🐅 Tiger | Wood | 03:00–05:00 | around February 4 |
| 卯 Myo (묘) | 🐇 Rabbit | Wood | 05:00–07:00 | around March 6 |
| 辰 Jin (진) | 🐉 Dragon | Earth | 07:00–09:00 | around April 5 |
| 巳 Sa (사) | 🐍 Snake | Fire | 09:00–11:00 | around May 6 |
| 午 O (오) | 🐎 Horse | Fire | 11:00–13:00 | around June 6 |
| 未 Mi (미) | 🐐 Goat | Earth | 13:00–15:00 | around July 7 |
| 申 Sin (신) | 🐒 Monkey | Metal | 15:00–17:00 | around August 8 |
| 酉 Yu (유) | 🐓 Rooster | Metal | 17:00–19:00 | around September 8 |
| 戌 Sul (술) | 🐕 Dog | Earth | 19:00–21:00 | around October 8 |
| 亥 Hae (해) | 🐖 Pig | Water | 21:00–23:00 | around November 7 |
Each branch covers a two-hour block of the day, which is how the hour pillar is found. Each also governs one Saju month, starting at a solar term rather than on the first of a calendar month.
Your animal year may not be what you think
In everyday life the animal year changes at Lunar New Year. In Saju it changes at Ipchun (입춘, 立春), the solar term that falls around February 4. Someone born in January is always counted in the previous animal year. See why your Saju year can differ from your birth year.
How branches relate
- Six Harmonies (육합, 六合): six pairs that bond closely, such as Rat and Ox or Horse and Goat.
- Three Harmonies (삼합, 三合): four groups of three that work as a team, such as Monkey, Rat and Dragon.
- Clashes (충, 沖): the six pairs directly opposite each other on the wheel, such as Rat and Horse.
These relationships are the core of compatibility reading, explained in the gunghap guide.
Idols by animal sign
Using the Saju year, which starts at Ipchun:
- 🐀 Rat: Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, Hyein, May, Zena, Miyeon, Rora
- 🐂 Ox: Jungkook, Rosé, Lisa, Bang Chan, Mina, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Minnie
- 🐅 Tiger: Lee Know, Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Dahyun, Vernon, Sakura, Soyeon
- 🐇 Rabbit: Changbin, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, Chaeyoung, Tzuyu, Yeonjun, Dino, Yuqi, Shuhua
- 🐉 Dragon: Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, Jongho, Soobin, Karina, Giselle, Winter, Chaewon, Yeji, Lia, Taeyang, G-Dragon
- 🐍 Snake: I.N, Beomgyu, Yunjin, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, Daesung, Heeseung
- 🐎 Horse: Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Taehyun, Huening Kai, Ningning, Gaeul, Ruka
- 🐐 Goat: Sunoo, Kazuha, Yujin, Rei, Yuna
- 🐒 Monkey: Jin, Jungwon, Minji, Hanni, Woni, Wonyoung, Liz
- 🐓 Rooster: Suga, Ni-ki, Pharita
- 🐕 Dog: j-hope, RM, Jisoo, Eunchae, Haerin, Liv, Minami, Asa
- 🐖 Pig: Jimin, V, Jennie, Nayeon, S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Leeseo, Ahyeon, Rami
Saju is a cultural tradition, and this site treats it as entertainment. There is no scientific evidence that a birth chart determines personality or predicts the future.