Loading…
What Korean words will you hear in a Saju reading?
By Mindy Park
Recognize a small set of Korean Saju terms and connect them to the labels on an English Four Pillars chart.
You may hear saju, palja, cheongan, jiji, ilgan and ohaeng during a Korean Saju reading. Begin by asking where a word appears on the chart and what it names. You do not need to memorize the terminology before you can ask a useful question.
This is a compact translation key for a session, including how to match Korean terms with English chart labels. For the overall experience, see what happens during a first Saju reading.
A small vocabulary to keep beside the chart
The Academy of Korean Studies’ Korean-language Saju entry describes the four pillars, their paired characters and the traditional categories used to interpret them. The English labels below are explanations of that terminology, not scientific measurements.
| Korean term | Common English label | What to ask the reader to show |
|---|---|---|
| 사주, saju | Four Pillars | The year, month, day and hour columns |
| 팔자, palja | Eight characters | The two main characters in each pillar |
| 천간, cheongan | Heavenly stem | The upper character in a pillar |
| 지지, jiji | Earthly branch | The lower character in a pillar |
| 일간, ilgan | Day stem or Day Master | The heavenly stem of the day pillar |
| 음양, eumyang | Yin and yang | The traditional polarity assigned to a symbol |
| 오행, ohaeng | Five phases or five elements | Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water categories |
| 대운, daeun | Major luck cycle | A timing sequence discussed alongside the natal pillars |
Romanized spelling and English translation can vary. If two labels sound different, compare the Korean word or written character before assuming they name different things. The site’s glossary offers individual terms for further reading.
Read the column headings first
Do not identify the day pillar by counting columns from one edge. Check the headings on the chart in front of you; layouts can present the sequence differently. Once you find the day column, distinguish its upper stem from its lower branch. The Day Master guide explains why the upper character has a particular role in interpretation.
Extra rows can contain additional labels or relationships. Ask which row belongs to the basic pillars and which is an interpretation or a timing layer. A busy chart is easier to read when you establish that distinction before looking up every unfamiliar word.
Try a three-part question
In a hypothetical session, you hear “ilgan.” Ask: “Can you point to it, give its plain-English name, and explain how you are using it in this sentence?” You are checking vocabulary first, then the interpretation.
If the answer becomes a personality claim, ask which other chart features are being considered. Knowing the translation does not establish that the description fits you. Our guide to how the four pillars connect follows that next step.
Cultural familiarity does not mean shared belief
In Pew’s 2023 survey, 38% of South Korean adults reported having their fortune told in the previous year. Pew’s figure concerns fortunetelling broadly, not Saju alone or knowledge of this vocabulary. It is cultural context, not proof that everyone in Korea understands or accepts these ideas.
Keep a few translated terms with your chart and leave the rest for follow-up. A clear explanation should make the conversation easier to understand, not turn unfamiliar words into a reason you cannot question it.