BaZi glossary · Na Yin
What is Roof Tile Earth (屋上土)?
The Na Yin of 丙戌 and 丁亥
Short answer
Roof Tile Earth (Wu Shang Tu, 屋上土) is one of the thirty Na Yin of the sixty-pillar cycle. Its image is earth fired into roof tiles; it belongs to the 丙戌 (Bing Xu) and 丁亥 (Ding Hai) pillars, and its Na Yin element is Earth. People with either as their year pillar are often said to have a Roof Tile Earth life.
At a glance
- Group
- Na Yin · Earth
- Pillars
- 丙戌 Bing Xu, 丁亥 Ding Hai
- Image
- earth fired into roof tiles
- Na Yin element
- Earth
- Other Earth Na Yin
- Roadside Earth, City Wall Earth, Wall Earth, Great Post Road Earth, Sand Earth
How to find the Roof Tile Earth
The Na Yin pair up the sixty stem-branch pillars into thirty names; 丙戌 and 丁亥 share Roof Tile Earth. The Na Yin of the year pillar is often called one's life Na Yin, so people with a 丙戌 or 丁亥 year pillar are said to have a Roof Tile Earth life. BaZi years change at Lichun (around 4 February), so anyone born in January or early February uses the previous year's pillar.
| Pillar | Years (1900–2099) |
|---|---|
| 丙戌 | 1946, 2006, 2066 |
| 丁亥 | 1947, 2007, 2067 |
The image and meaning of Roof Tile Earth
Roof Tile Earth is clay fired into tiles that cover a roof and keep out wind and rain. Traditionally it describes family-minded, responsible people who shelter those around them.
Tiles only take shape in the kiln, so this Na Yin is often read as needing experience to find its form; once formed it is solid and dependable, suited to looking after a family or a team.
How to read it in a chart
- Year pillar
- the year pillar's Na Yin is the “life” Na Yin, traditionally used for a person's general temperament and, in compatibility matching, for comparing two people's Na Yin.
- Day pillar
- the day pillar's Na Yin is seen as closer to the self; some schools use it to add detail on temperament.
- Other pillars
- the Na Yin of the month and hour pillars, luck pillars and years are usually read only as background, not as good or bad on their own.
Roof Tile Earth and the regular Five Phases
- Na Yin element
- Roof Tile Earth's Na Yin element is Earth, taken from the 丙戌–丁亥 pair as a whole.
- 丙戌 (Bing Xu)
- the stem 丙 is Fire, the branch 戌 is Earth.
- 丁亥 (Ding Hai)
- the stem 丁 is Fire, the branch 亥 is Water.
Common misconceptions
- Na Yin cannot decide good or bad fortune on its own. BaZi analysis rests on the regular Five Phases and the Ten Gods; Na Yin is a supporting symbol.
- A Roof Tile Earth life refers to the year pillar's Na Yin only; it does not make the whole chart Earth.
- Clashing Na Yin in compatibility matching does not mean a poor match; modern readings weigh how the two whole charts fit together.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have a Roof Tile Earth life?
Look at your year pillar: if it is 丙戌 or 丁亥, yes. You can use the years in the table, but if your birthday is before Lichun (around 4 February), use the previous year. The surest way is to check the year pillar's Na Yin in the free calculator.
Is Roof Tile Earth's element just Earth?
Its Na Yin element is Earth, which is not the same as the regular Five Phases used in BaZi. Judging the Day Master's strength and useful god uses the regular elements of the stems and branches, not the Na Yin.
How important is Na Yin in BaZi?
Na Yin is an older supporting system, used for the “life” element of the year and in traditional compatibility matching. Modern BaZi analysis rests on the regular Five Phases, the Ten Gods and the chart's structure, so Na Yin is best read as a symbolic reference.
Find the Na Yin of your year pillar
The free calculator lists the Na Yin of every pillar and changes the year at Lichun, so your year pillar's Na Yin is always right.
For cultural learning, self-reflection, and entertainment. AI interpretations may be incomplete or inaccurate and are not professional advice.