The ten stems at a glance
The ten heavenly stems (천간, cheongan) are the top characters of every Saju pillar. They are the five elements, each in a yang (outgoing, solid) and a yin (receptive, refined) form. Your day stem is your day master, so it is the first thing a Saju reader looks at.
| Stem | Korean | Mandarin | Element | Traditional image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 甲 | Gap (갑) | Jia | Yang Wood | a tall tree |
| 乙 | Eul (을) | Yi | Yin Wood | flowers, grass and vines |
| 丙 | Byeong (병) | Bing | Yang Fire | the sun |
| 丁 | Jeong (정) | Ding | Yin Fire | a candle, lamp or starlight |
| 戊 | Mu (무) | Wu | Yang Earth | a great mountain |
| 己 | Gi (기) | Ji | Yin Earth | fertile farmland |
| Gyeong (경) | Geng | Yang Metal | raw iron, rock or a blade | |
| Sin (신) | Xin | Yin Metal | a jewel or fine blade | |
| 壬 | Im (임) | Ren | Yang Water | the ocean or a great river |
| 癸 | Gye (계) | Gui | Yin Water | rain, dew or mist |
Personality of each day master
甲 Gap (Jia) — Yang Wood, a tall tree
Gap (甲) is the great tree: upright, ambitious and growing toward one clear goal. Gap people tend to set direction for others, keep their word and dislike bending their principles. In love it is loyal and protective, likes to take the lead and plan the future together, but can be slow to say sorry. Typical career themes: planning and strategy, education and training, management and public service, founding a project from zero.
Strengths: clear sense of direction, integrity and backbone, natural leadership. Watch: stubbornness when challenged, pride that resists help, starting more than can be finished. Day pillars: Gap-Ja, Gap-Sul, Gap-Sin, Gap-O, Gap-Jin, Gap-In.
乙 Eul (Yi) — Yin Wood, flowers, grass and vines
Eul (乙) is the grass and the vine: flexible, sociable and quietly tenacious. It bends with the wind instead of breaking and finds a way around obstacles rather than through them. In love it is attentive and affectionate, reads a partner's mood well and values everyday tenderness. Typical career themes: design and visual arts, counselling and HR, marketing and networking, hospitality and service.
Strengths: adaptability, social intelligence, survival instinct. Watch: indecision, over-reliance on others’ approval, hidden worry. Day pillars: Eul-Chuk, Eul-Hae, Eul-Yu, Eul-Mi, Eul-Sa, Eul-Myo.
丙 Byeong (Bing) — Yang Fire, the sun
Byeong (丙) is the sun: warm, open, expressive and generous. It wants to shine on everyone, speaks frankly and lifts the mood of any room. In love it is warm and demonstrative, falls fast and shows it, wants a partner who enjoys being seen together. Typical career themes: broadcasting and media, sales and promotion, teaching and public speaking, entertainment and events.
Strengths: optimism, charisma, generosity. Watch: impatience, mood swings, losing interest once the excitement fades. Day pillars: Byeong-In, Byeong-Ja, Byeong-Sul, Byeong-Sin, Byeong-O, Byeong-Jin.
丁 Jeong (Ding) — Yin Fire, a candle, lamp or starlight
Jeong (丁) is the candle and the starlight: focused, warm and perceptive. Its light is small but steady, so Jeong people tend to give deep attention to a few people and a few crafts. In love it is devoted and romantic, remembers small details and expects the same sincerity in return. Typical career themes: research and analysis, medicine and care, teaching and mentoring, arts, writing and craft.
Strengths: concentration, empathy, quiet persistence. Watch: bottling up feelings, sensitivity to criticism, overthinking. Day pillars: Jeong-Myo, Jeong-Chuk, Jeong-Hae, Jeong-Yu, Jeong-Mi, Jeong-Sa.
戊 Mu (Wu) — Yang Earth, a great mountain
Mu (戊) is the mountain: solid, trustworthy and calm under pressure. People lean on Mu types, who prefer to mediate, protect and hold the line. In love it is steady and dependable, shows love through reliability more than words. Typical career themes: administration and government, real estate and construction, finance and insurance, mediation and management.
Strengths: reliability, patience, broad tolerance. Watch: resistance to change, slow decisions, keeping feelings unsaid. Day pillars: Mu-Jin, Mu-In, Mu-Ja, Mu-Sul, Mu-Sin, Mu-O.
己 Gi (Ji) — Yin Earth, fertile farmland
Gi (己) is the garden soil: practical, nurturing and detail-minded. It grows things step by step and quietly manages what others overlook. In love it is caring and attentive, builds a cosy everyday life and worries about the partner’s wellbeing. Typical career themes: accounting and operations, education and childcare, healthcare and care work, food, agriculture and retail.
Strengths: thoroughness, nurturing care, practical judgement. Watch: worry and overthinking, perfectionism, difficulty saying no. Day pillars: Gi-Sa, Gi-Myo, Gi-Chuk, Gi-Hae, Gi-Yu, Gi-Mi.
Gyeong (Geng) — Yang Metal, raw iron, rock or a blade
Gyeong (庚) is raw metal: decisive, loyal and just. It cuts cleanly between right and wrong and moves quickly once a decision is made. In love it is straightforward and loyal, protects a partner fiercely but may express care bluntly. Typical career themes: military, police and law, engineering and manufacturing, surgery and technical trades, sports and operations.
Strengths: decisiveness, sense of justice, courage. Watch: bluntness, black-and-white thinking, impatience with slow people. Day pillars: Gyeong-O, Gyeong-Jin, Gyeong-In, Gyeong-Ja, Gyeong-Sul, Gyeong-Sin.
Sin (Xin) — Yin Metal, a jewel or fine blade
Sin (辛) is the polished jewel: refined, precise and self-respecting. It values quality, aesthetics and clean standards, and notices flaws others miss. In love it is selective and elegant, wants to be cherished and treats a partner with care and taste. Typical career themes: finance and audit, fashion, beauty and design, professional licences (law, medicine, pharmacy), precision technology.
Strengths: taste and precision, self-discipline, sharp judgement. Watch: sensitivity to criticism, perfectionism, holding grudges. Day pillars: Sin-Mi, Sin-Sa, Sin-Myo, Sin-Chuk, Sin-Hae, Sin-Yu.
壬 Im (Ren) — Yang Water, the ocean or a great river
Im (壬) is the sea: broad, intelligent and freedom-loving. It sees the big picture, connects people and ideas, and dislikes being boxed in. In love it is easygoing and open-minded, needs space and enjoys a partner who is also a friend. Typical career themes: trade and logistics, strategy and consulting, IT and research, travel, media and international work.
Strengths: vision, adaptability, resourcefulness. Watch: restlessness, scattered focus, avoiding commitment when bored. Day pillars: Im-Sin, Im-O, Im-Jin, Im-In, Im-Ja, Im-Sul.
癸 Gye (Gui) — Yin Water, rain, dew or mist
Gye (癸) is the rain: intuitive, gentle and quietly clever. It seeps into every crack, reading moods and situations before others notice them. In love it is tender and perceptive, cares in subtle ways and needs emotional safety. Typical career themes: research and data, counselling and psychology, IT and writing, planning behind the scenes.
Strengths: intuition, intelligence, quiet resilience. Watch: anxiety, hesitation, retreating when hurt. Day pillars: Gye-Yu, Gye-Mi, Gye-Sa, Gye-Myo, Gye-Chuk, Gye-Hae.
Combinations and clashes between stems
Stems interact in fixed pairs. Five combinations (천간합) pull two stems together: Gap–Gi (Earth), Eul–Gyeong (Metal), Byeong–Sin (Water), Jeong–Im (Wood) and Mu–Gye (Fire). Four clashes (천간충) set them against each other: Gap–Gyeong, Eul–Sin, Byeong–Im and Jeong–Gye. In 2027 the yearly stem is Jeong, so Im day masters meet a combination and Gye day masters a clash.
These pairs are also why each day pillar article names a “best traditional match”: the pillar whose stem combines with yours and whose branch forms a six-harmony with your branch.