The 12 Day Officers (建除十二神) and What Each One Is For

Open any traditional Chinese almanac (通勝, tōng shèng) and every day carries a one-character label: 建, 除, 满, 平, 定, 执, 破, 危, 成, 收, 开, 闭. This is the 建除十二神 — the twelve Day Officers — one of the oldest and simplest date-selection systems in use.

How the cycle works

The officers run in a fixed loop of twelve, advancing one per day. The loop is anchored to the month: the day whose Earthly Branch matches the current solar month's branch is always 建 (Establish), and the cycle counts on from there. Because months are 29–30 days, the officer that opens a month repeats once near its end.

You do not need to compute it — every almanac and most BaZi tools, including our Choose Date tab, show the officer for each day. What is useful is knowing what each one is for.

The twelve

• 建 Establish — beginnings and groundwork. Good for starting a project, laying a foundation, filing paperwork. Not for finishing or for travel.
• 除 Remove — clearing out. Good for ending things: cleaning, medical treatment, resolving disputes, breaking a bad habit. Not for starting something you want to keep.
• 满 Full — abundance and completion energy. Good for celebrations, stocking up, prayer and ritual. Traditionally avoided for weddings and burials.
• 平 Balance / Level — routine and maintenance. Good for ordinary work, road and building repair, settling accounts. A safe, unremarkable day.
• 定 Stable / Fix — locking things in. Good for signing contracts, moving into a home, planting, formalising an agreement. Not for anything you may need to undo, or for litigation.
• 执 Hold / Grasp — securing and catching. Good for hiring, capturing opportunities, acquiring property. Mixed for travel.
• 破 Break — the disruptive day of the cycle. Suitable for demolition, breaking ground for that purpose, or deliberately ending something. Avoid it for weddings, openings, contracts, moving — anything meant to last.
• 危 Danger — caution. Traditionally used for climbing, high-risk work done carefully, or solemn rites; otherwise a day to keep plans modest and avoid the risky version of any activity.
• 成 Complete / Success — one of the best all-purpose days. Good for weddings, openings, launches, moving in, starting school or a job, most beginnings you want to succeed. Not ideal for litigation.
• 收 Receive / Collect — gathering in. Good for collecting debts, harvesting, acquiring, hiring, storing. Not for funerals or, in some readings, for opening a business.
• 开 Open — starting and opening up. Good for opening a business, weddings, beginning study, travel, breaking new ground. Avoid it for funerals and for closing or sealing anything.
• 闭 Close / Shut — sealing and ending. Good for burials, closing accounts, plugging leaks, building a dam or a wall, ending something for good. Avoid it for openings, weddings, medical treatment, travel.

The short version

For most people, most of the time, the practical takeaway is:

• Prefer 成 (Complete), 开 (Open), and 定 (Stable) for starting things and formalising agreements.
• Prefer 除 (Remove) and 闭 (Close) for deliberately ending things.
• Avoid 破 (Break) and 闭 (Close) for anything you want to last — a wedding, a lease, a launch, a partnership.
• Everything else (平, 满, 执, 收) is workable; 危 asks for a low-key version of whatever you had planned.

Where it fits

The officer is one check among several. On its own it is a blunt instrument — it is the same for everyone, regardless of chart. It becomes useful when combined with the personal checks: does the day clash your pillars, and does it carry your useful element. A 成 (Complete) day that also clashes your day branch is not the day to sign the lease. The full method is in How to pick a good day.