The twelve zodiac animals are paired in order with the twelve earthly branches, and those branches relate to each other through six combinations and three combinations as well as clashes and punishments. Folk custom makes a great deal of a zodiac clash, while in a complete chart-reading system it is only one relationship among many and has to be read in context.
BaZi compatibility reading sets two people's Four Pillars side by side and looks at the combinations, clashes and punishments among the branches, together with whether the five phases complement each other. Six and three combinations describe a type of relationship rather than a score for marriage quality: plenty of combination does not mean smooth, and plenty of clash does not mean impossible.
South Korean official statistics show that in 2025 the country recorded about 240,000 marriages over the year, about 21,000 of them to a foreign spouse. Marriage in East Asia has never been only about two people — so what is this old custom of "marital compatibility" really checking?
