"Eight Characters", also known as "Four Columns", is another way to express the four time elements of a person's birth year, month, day and time: each element is called a column, and each column is represented by the word heavenly stems and earthly branches. There are eight words in the four elements, which are called "eight characters".
Each of these eight words corresponds to a five-element attribute, as shown below:
Ten-day stem: methyl ethyl propyl butyl hexyl heptyl octyl nonyl decyl
Corresponding to the five elements: wood, wood, fire, earth, gold, water and water.
Twelve earthly branches: Ugly hasn't applied for going to sea this afternoon.
Corresponding to the five elements: water, earth, wood, wood, earth, fire, earth, gold, earth and water.