五行生剋是什麼？木火土金水的關係一次看懂
作者：Wei Chun Chuang・2026-10-15
五行是中國傳統思想裡很基本的概念，八字、中醫、風水都會用到。對學八字的人來說，五行生剋是讀懂命盤的地基：天干地支各有五行，十神也是從五行關係推出來的。這篇用最簡單的方式說明它。
五行是指哪五種東西？
五行是木、火、土、金、水。這裡的「行」有運行、變化的意思，所以五行比較像五種性質或狀態，而不是五種固定的物質。英文常譯為 Five Phases 或 Five Elements，前者更強調它們會流轉變化。
五行相生的順序是什麼？
相生是「促成、滋養」的關係，順序是：
木生火 → 火生土 → 土生金 → 金生水 → 水生木
常見的記憶方式：木頭可以燃燒生火；火燒完成灰化為土；土中蘊藏金屬；金屬表面會凝結水氣；水滋養樹木。這些是傳統的比喻，用來幫助記住順序。
五行相剋的順序是什麼？
相剋是「約束、制衡」的關係，順序是：
木剋土 → 土剋水 → 水剋火 → 火剋金 → 金剋木
比喻是：樹根穿破土壤；土可以築堤擋水；水能澆熄火；火能熔化金屬；金屬刀斧能砍伐樹木。有一個簡單的規則可以檢查：相剋就是在相生的順序裡「隔一個」，例如木生火、火生土，所以木剋土。
相剋是不好的意思嗎？
不是。生與剋是兩種互相需要的作用：只有相生，力量會無限擴張；只有相剋，系統會停滯。兩者並存，五行之間才能保持平衡。所以在八字裡看到「剋」，指的是一種約束或制衡的關係，不代表好壞。
五行有哪些常見的對應？
- 木：東方、春季、青色
- 火：南方、夏季、赤色
- 土：中央、季節交替之際、黃色
- 金：西方、秋季、白色
- 水：北方、冬季、黑色
這些對應來自傳統的分類系統，學八字時最常用到的是方位與季節，因為它們和地支、月令有關。
五行在八字裡怎麼用？
八字的十天干各屬一行：甲乙木、丙丁火、戊己土、庚辛金、壬癸水；十二地支也各有五行。讀盤時，先找到日主，再看其他字和日主的五行關係：
- 同我：和日主同一行。
- 我生：日主所生的那一行。
- 我剋：日主所剋的那一行。
- 剋我：剋日主的那一行。
- 生我：生日主的那一行。
例如日主是丙火：火生土，所以戊己土是「我生」；水剋火，所以壬癸水是「剋我」。這五種關係再分陰陽，就是十神。
常見問題
- 五行和西方的四元素一樣嗎？
- 不一樣。西方四元素是火、土、風、水，偏向描述物質與氣質；五行是木、火、土、金、水，著重五者之間相生相剋的循環關係。
- 五行缺一行代表什麼？
- 八個字裡沒有出現某一行，是命盤結構的一個特徵。傳統上還要看地支藏干與整體搭配，不能只憑表面的八個字下結論。
- 怎麼記住五行相剋的順序？
- 先記熟相生：木火土金水循環；相剋就是在這個順序裡隔一個，例如木隔火剋土、火隔土剋金。
想用 App 練習？
想把五行生剋套進自己的命盤，時來－八字是一款教你讀八字的 iPhone 課程 App：四柱由 App 計算，免費第二堂就是「天干、地支與五行」，進階課也有一堂專講「五行生剋」，每一句都標明是古籍依據、白話解釋還是本專案自撰。目前已送 App Store 審核，尚未上架。
What are the Five Phases? How Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water relate
作者：Wei Chun Chuang・2026-10-15
The Five Phases are a basic idea in traditional Chinese thought, used in Bazi, Chinese medicine and feng shui. For Bazi learners they are the foundation of chart reading: every stem and branch belongs to a phase, and the Ten Gods are derived from phase relationships. Here is the simplest way to understand them.
What are the five phases?
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The Chinese word "xing" carries the sense of movement and change, so the Five Phases are better thought of as five qualities or states than as five fixed substances. "Five Phases" stresses that they cycle; "Five Elements" is also a common translation.
What is the generating cycle?
Generating means producing or nourishing. The order is:
木 → 火 → 土 → 金 → 水 → 木
A common way to remember it: wood burns to make fire; fire leaves ash that becomes earth; earth holds metal; metal gathers condensation; water nourishes trees. These are traditional images to help you remember the order.
What is the controlling cycle?
Controlling means restraining or keeping in check. The order is:
木剋土 → 土剋水 → 水剋火 → 火剋金 → 金剋木
The images: roots break through soil; earth dams hold back water; water puts out fire; fire melts metal; a metal axe cuts wood. A simple check: controlling skips one step in the generating order. Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, so Wood controls Earth.
Is controlling a bad thing?
No. Generating and controlling need each other. With only generation, growth would run unchecked; with only control, the system would stall. Together they keep the five in balance. In Bazi, "control" describes a restraining relationship, not a judgment of good or bad.
What are the common correspondences?
- Wood: east, spring, green-blue
- Fire: south, summer, red
- Earth: centre, the transitions between seasons, yellow
- Metal: west, autumn, white
- Water: north, winter, black
These come from the traditional classification system. In Bazi, direction and season matter most because they tie in with the branches and the month.
How are the Five Phases used in Bazi?
Each of the ten stems belongs to a phase: Jia and Yi are Wood, Bing and Ding Fire, Wu and Ji Earth, Geng and Xin Metal, Ren and Gui Water; the twelve branches also have phases. To read a chart, find the Day Master and then check each other character's phase relationship to it:
- Same as me: the same phase as the Day Master.
- Produced by me: the phase the Day Master generates.
- Controlled by me: the phase the Day Master controls.
- Controlling me: the phase that controls the Day Master.
- Producing me: the phase that generates the Day Master.
For a Bing Fire Day Master: Fire generates Earth, so Wu and Ji Earth are "produced by me"; Water controls Fire, so Ren and Gui Water are "controlling me". Split by polarity, these five relationships become the Ten Gods.
常見問題
- Are the Five Phases the same as the Western four elements?
- No. The Western elements are fire, earth, air and water and describe substance and temperament; the Five Phases are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water and focus on the cycles by which they generate and control one another.
- What does it mean if a chart lacks one phase?
- A phase missing from the eight characters is a structural feature. Traditionally readers also look at hidden stems in the branches and the chart as a whole before drawing conclusions.
- 怎麼記住五行相剋的順序？
- Learn the generating order Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water first; controlling skips one step, so Wood controls Earth and Fire controls Metal.
Practise with an app
To apply the Five Phases to your own chart, Shilai – Bazi is an iPhone course that teaches you to read Bazi. The app calculates the four pillars; the second free lesson is "Stems, branches and the Five Phases", and an advanced lesson covers generation and control. Every line is marked as classical basis, plain-language explanation or the project's own writing. It is currently in App Store review.