Saju–BaZi Glossary: The Same System, Two Vocabularies
If you have read about Saju (Korean astrology) and BaZi (Chinese astrology), you have probably noticed the words don't always match — one source says Hurting Officer, another says Sanggwan, a third says 傷官. They all mean the same thing.
Here's why: Saju and BaZi are two names for the same method — the Four Pillars of Destiny. Saju (사주, 四柱, "four pillars") is the Korean name; BaZi (八字, "eight characters") is the Chinese name. The chart, the stems, the branches, the elements, and the Ten Gods are identical. Only the pronunciation and the preferred English translations differ.
This glossary puts the vocabularies side by side so you can move freely between English BaZi guides, Korean Saju readings, and the original Chinese sources. Want to see your own eight characters first? Use the free Saju calculator.
Core Terms
| English (BaZi) | Korean (Saju) | Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four Pillars / Eight Characters | Saju (사주) / Palja (팔자) | 四柱 / 八字 | Year, Month, Day, Hour pillars — 8 characters total |
| Day Master / Day Stem | Ilgan (일간) | 日主 / 日元 / 日干 | The Heavenly Stem of the Day Pillar = "you" |
| Heavenly Stems | Cheongan (천간) | 天干 | The 10 stems on top of each pillar |
| Earthly Branches | Jiji (지지) | 地支 | The 12 branches under each pillar |
| Five Elements | Ohaeng (오행) | 五行 | Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water |
| Hidden Stems | Jijanggan (지장간) | 支藏干 | Stems concealed inside each branch |
| Ten Gods | Sipsin (십신) | 十神 | The 10 relationship roles vs. the Day Master |
| Structure / Pattern | Gyeokguk (격국) | 格局 | The chart's dominant configuration |
| Useful God / Favorable Element | Yongsin (용신) | 用神 | The element the chart most needs |
| Luck Pillars / Luck Cycles | Daeun (대운) | 大運 | The 10-year fortune cycles |
The Ten Gods (십신 / 十神)
The single biggest source of confusion between English BaZi and Korean Saju is the Ten Gods — the ten ways another character can relate to your Day Master. Same ten roles, different names:
| English (BaZi) — common synonyms | Korean (Saju) | Chinese | Relationship to Day Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friend (Companion, Parallel) | Bigyeon / Bijeon (비견) | 比肩 | Same element, same polarity — peers |
| Rob Wealth (Robbery Wealth) | Geopjae (겁재) | 劫財 | Same element, opposite polarity — rivals |
| Eating God (Output) | Sikshin (식신) | 食神 | Element you produce, same polarity — steady output |
| Hurting Officer (Hurt Officer) | Sanggwan (상관) | 傷官 | Element you produce, opposite polarity — bold expression |
| Indirect Wealth (Partial Wealth) | Pyeonjae (편재) | 偏財 | Element you control, same polarity — fluid wealth |
| Direct Wealth (Proper Wealth) | Jeongjae (정재) | 正財 | Element you control, opposite polarity — steady wealth |
| Seven Killings (7 Killings, Indirect Officer) | Chilsal / Pyeongwan (칠살/편관) | 七殺 / 偏官 | Element that controls you, same polarity — pressure, power |
| Direct Officer (Proper Officer) | Jeonggwan (정관) | 正官 | Element that controls you, opposite polarity — discipline, status |
| Indirect Resource (Indirect Seal, Eccentric Seal) | Pyeonin (편인) | 偏印 | Element that produces you, same polarity — unconventional support |
| Direct Resource (Direct Seal, Proper Seal) | Jeongin (정인) | 正印 | Element that produces you, opposite polarity — nurturing support |
Read the full breakdown in The Ten Gods explained.
Heavenly Stems (천간 / 天干)
| English | Korean | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yang Wood | Gap (갑) | 甲 | Jiǎ |
| Yin Wood | Eul (을) | 乙 | Yǐ |
| Yang Fire | Byeong (병) | 丙 | Bǐng |
| Yin Fire | Jeong (정) | 丁 | Dīng |
| Yang Earth | Mu (무) | 戊 | Wù |
| Yin Earth | Gi (기) | 己 | Jǐ |
| Yang Metal | Gyeong (경) | 庚 | Gēng |
| Yin Metal | Sin (신) | 辛 | Xīn |
| Yang Water | Im (임) | 壬 | Rén |
| Yin Water | Gye (계) | 癸 | Guǐ |
More in The Ten Heavenly Stems.
Earthly Branches (지지 / 地支)
Each branch maps to one of the twelve zodiac animals:
| English (Animal) | Korean | Chinese | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | Ja (자) | 子 | Water |
| Ox | Chuk (축) | 丑 | Earth |
| Tiger | In (인) | 寅 | Wood |
| Rabbit | Myo (묘) | 卯 | Wood |
| Dragon | Jin (진) | 辰 | Earth |
| Snake | Sa (사) | 巳 | Fire |
| Horse | O (오) | 午 | Fire |
| Goat | Mi (미) | 未 | Earth |
| Monkey | Sin (신) | 申 | Metal |
| Rooster | Yu (유) | 酉 | Metal |
| Dog | Sul (술) | 戌 | Earth |
| Pig | Hae (해) | 亥 | Water |
More in The Twelve Earthly Branches.
Interactions & Symbolic Stars
| English (BaZi) | Korean (Saju) | Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combination | Hap (합) | 合 | Two characters bond / merge |
| Clash | Chung (충) | 冲 | Two characters oppose / collide |
| Punishment | Hyeong (형) | 刑 | Friction / self-undermining tension |
| Harm | Hae (해) | 害 | Subtle undermining |
| Destruction | Pa (파) | 破 | Breaking apart |
| Symbolic Stars | Sinsal (신살) | 神殺 | Special stars (e.g., Peach Blossom, Traveling Horse) |
| Yang Blade / Goat Blade | Yangin (양인) | 羊刃 | An intense, sharp-energy star |
| Void / Empty | Gongmang (공망) | 空亡 | A "hollow" branch position |
Frequently Confused Pairs
- Hurting Officer vs. Eating God — both are "output," but Hurting Officer (상관) is bold and rule-bending, while the Eating God (식신) is steady and easygoing.
- Seven Killings vs. Direct Officer — both are "authority" over you; Seven Killings (칠살) is raw pressure, Direct Officer (정관) is structured status.
- Direct vs. Indirect (Wealth / Resource / Officer) — "Direct" means opposite polarity (a smoother, conventional bond); "Indirect" means same polarity (a more intense, unconventional one).
See It in Your Own Chart
Terminology makes sense fastest when you read your own chart. Generate your eight characters with the free Saju (Four Pillars) calculator, find your Day Master, then come back to this glossary to decode each relationship.