BaZi in English
What the stems, branches, elements and Ten Gods of BaZi are called in English. Every table below is taken straight from the data this site's chart engine runs on, so it matches exactly what you see on your own chart.
Core terms
The ones people look up most.
| Chinese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 八字 | BaZi / Eight Characters | Literally “eight characters” — two per pillar |
| 四柱 | Four Pillars of Destiny | Year, month, day and hour |
| 天干 | Heavenly Stem | Ten of them, listed below |
| 地支 | Earthly Branch | Twelve, matching the zodiac animals |
| 日主 / 日元 | Day Master | The day pillar's stem — it represents you |
| 五行 | Five Elements | Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water |
| 用神 | Favorable Element | The element your chart most needs |
| 忌神 | Unfavorable Element | The one to steer away from |
| 十神 | Ten Gods | Ten relationships between a stem and your Day Master |
| 大运 | Luck Pillar | A ten-year phase |
| 流年 | Annual Pillar | The stem and branch of a given year |
The ten Heavenly Stems
Each stem carries a fixed element and polarity. Your Day Master is one of these ten.
| Stem | Pinyin | Element | Polarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 甲 | Jiǎ | Wood | Yang |
| 乙 | Yǐ | Wood | Yin |
| 丙 | Bǐng | Fire | Yang |
| 丁 | Dīng | Fire | Yin |
| 戊 | Wù | Earth | Yang |
| 己 | Jǐ | Earth | Yin |
| 庚 | Gēng | Metal | Yang |
| 辛 | Xīn | Metal | Yin |
| 壬 | Rén | Water | Yang |
| 癸 | Guǐ | Water | Yin |
The twelve Earthly Branches
The branches map to the twelve zodiac animals — this is where your animal sign comes from.
| Branch | Pinyin | Animal | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 子 | Zǐ | Rat | Water |
| 丑 | Chǒu | Ox | Earth |
| 寅 | Yín | Tiger | Wood |
| 卯 | Mǎo | Rabbit | Wood |
| 辰 | Chén | Dragon | Earth |
| 巳 | Sì | Snake | Fire |
| 午 | Wǔ | Horse | Fire |
| 未 | Wèi | Goat | Earth |
| 申 | Shēn | Monkey | Metal |
| 酉 | Yǒu | Rooster | Metal |
| 戌 | Xū | Dog | Earth |
| 亥 | Hài | Pig | Water |
The Ten Gods
The Ten Gods describe how another stem relates to your Day Master, and they drive most readings about career, money and relationships.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 比肩 | Friend |
| 劫财 | Rob Wealth |
| 食神 | Eating God |
| 伤官 | Hurting Officer |
| 偏财 | Indirect Wealth |
| 正财 | Direct Wealth |
| 七杀 | Seven Killings |
| 正官 | Direct Officer |
| 偏印 | Indirect Resource |
| 正印 | Direct Resource |
The twelve zodiac signs (Western astrology)
Alongside BaZi this site also computes a Western natal chart, so the sign names are here too.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 白羊座 | Aries |
| 金牛座 | Taurus |
| 双子座 | Gemini |
| 巨蟹座 | Cancer |
| 狮子座 | Leo |
| 处女座 | Virgo |
| 天秤座 | Libra |
| 天蝎座 | Scorpio |
| 射手座 | Sagittarius |
| 摩羯座 | Capricorn |
| 水瓶座 | Aquarius |
| 双鱼座 | Pisces |
Want to see these terms on your own chart?
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