Monkey and Rat in love
Lively, witty and full of plans. They keep each other entertained for years.
Trine — natural allies
Monkey and Rat Compatibility
Monkey and Rat compatibility: they sit 4 apart in the twelve-year cycle, a pairing the tradition classes as “Trine — natural allies”. We score it 90%.
- Relation
- Trine San He, 三合
- Steps apart
- 4 in the twelve-year cycle
- Next Monkey year
- 2028 starts Jan 26, 2028
- Next Rat year
- 2032 starts Feb 11, 2032
New-year dates: Hong Kong Observatory calendar.
Trine — natural allies
90%
Are the Monkey and Rat compatible?
Rat and Monkey share the Rat–Dragon–Monkey trine, the group of quick, ambitious doers. Both are clever, sociable and opportunistic, and they recognize and admire each other's intelligence. Traditionally a very successful pairing for both signs.
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Working together
A sharp, resourceful team, excellent in business and negotiation.
Where it goes wrong
Two schemers can outsmart each other if competition creeps in.
Over time
How a Monkey–Rat relationship usually unfolds
- At first. Partners in the water triangle: two quick minds recognize each other and the plans start at once.
- Once settled. A clever, resourceful household that enjoys schemes and rarely runs out of ideas.
- What keeps it working. Keeping competition outside the relationship, so cleverness serves the pair rather than one side.
Fixed elements
Metal Monkey, water Rat
generating · controlling
The Monkey’s metal carries the Rat’s water — the image is dew that gathers on cold metal. On the generating cycle the Monkey gives and the Rat receives.
The fixed element belongs to the animal and never changes; the element of a birth year (wood, fire, earth, metal or water) rotates every two years — see the years below.
On the twelve-year wheel
Where the Monkey and the Rat sit on the wheel
- Monkey–Rat, 4 steps apart: San He, the three harmonies.
- San He triangles. Rat and Monkey share it, with Dragon as the third corner.
- Clash axes. Rat–Horse; Monkey–Tiger.
- Secret friends. In the Liu He list the Rat pairs with the Ox; the Monkey pairs with the Snake.
- Six harms. Monkey and Pig; Rat and Goat — not drawn.
Computed from 108 years of real lunar new year dates
The arithmetic behind this pairing
How the Monkey and the Rat sit on the cycle, and the share of the century each one actually holds.
The 108-year table gives the Monkey and the Rat almost the same number of days, 3,310 and 3,306; four positions apart, they make up 1.406% of all pairings.
Possible age gaps — fixed by the cycle
A Monkey and a Rat can only be these numbers of years apart:
4
years apart
8
years apart
16
years apart
20
years apart
28
years apart
32
years apart
40
years apart
44
years apart
Recent birth-year combinations
| Monkey | Rat | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Monkey 2016 | Earth Rat 2008 | 8 years apart |
| Fire Monkey 2016 | Metal Rat 2020 | 4 years apart |
| Wood Monkey 2004 | Fire Rat 1996 | 8 years apart |
| Wood Monkey 2004 | Earth Rat 2008 | 4 years apart |
| Water Monkey 1992 | Wood Rat 1984 | 8 years apart |
| Water Monkey 1992 | Fire Rat 1996 | 4 years apart |
| Metal Monkey 1980 | Water Rat 1972 | 8 years apart |
| Metal Monkey 1980 | Wood Rat 1984 | 4 years apart |
Birth years for this pairing
Born in January or early February? Check the date before counting yourself a Monkey or a Rat.
Monkey
1956 · 1968 · 1980 · 1992 · 2004 · 2016Rat
1960 · 1972 · 1984 · 1996 · 2008 · 2020Cite this page
AstroHot. “Monkey and Rat Compatibility in the Chinese Zodiac.” Accessed October 28, 2026. https://astrohot.com/chinese-horoscope/compatibility/monkey/rat/
For Wikipedia
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