Five Elements Analysis
Long before the zodiac, Chinese thinkers described the world as five moving elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water — each generating the next, each restraining one other. Your birth year carries one; a Chinese name can carry several. See how they sit together.
Your element balance appears here
Pick your birth year, optionally add characters, and press Analyze balance.
Five elements, two cycles
Wu Xing (五行) isn't "elements" as chemistry — it's five phases of change. Chinese medicine, cooking, architecture and feng shui all speak this language. Knowing the cycles is a key to reading much of Chinese culture.
🌱 The generating cycle (相生)
Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood. Each phase gives birth to the next, like a forest fire enriching the soil. Pairs that generate are traditionally read as supportive, flowing.
⚔️ The restraining cycle (相克)
Wood splits Earth · Earth dams Water · Water douses Fire · Fire melts Metal · Metal chops Wood. Each phase keeps another honest. Restraining pairs read as dynamic, corrective — tension that shapes.