16 Personality Temperament Types and Marriage Compatibility

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Rachael Pace, Author

Rachael Pace

Expertise: Mental health, Parenting

Rachael Pace inspires with motivational articles on loving partnerships. She encourages making room for love and facing challenges together.

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Updated: 13 Mar, 2024

Table of Contents

Know your temperament is a map for deeper connection: recognize how your type and your partner's mix, then practice listening with empathy to grow closer.
See each other's strengths, not flaws, and use that awareness to deepen trust and feel seen, then commit to regular check-ins that honor both voices.
Choose with care and nurture your bond by prioritizing compatibility of values and communication, while embracing growth together to strengthen your emotional connection.

Modern Psychology accepts the four ancient fundamental types of personalities developed by the Greco-Arabic system of medicine. They are the Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric, and Melancholic.

Don’t bother learning the etymology of those words; you won’t like it.

Like primary colors, these temperaments can be mixed with others, which mathematically creates 12 different Predominant-Secondary mixed type personalities. Add the four primary types, and there are sixteen altogether.

When it comes to falling in love and marriage, most people believe that their partner’s personality matters. So we compiled a list of personality temperament types and their marriage compatibility with each other according to the Myers-Briggs test.

Related Reading: What Are ISFP Relationships? Compatibality & Dating Tips

Here are the 16 personality types and their compatible marriage partners according to Modern Psychology.

1. Sanguine Pure – ESFP

These are the charming happy-go-lucky people who are fun, loud, and crowd-pleasing. They light up the room with their presence and are always looking for trouble.

Compatible marriage partners –

ESFJ
ESTP
ISFP

2. Sanguine-Phlegmatic – ENFP

These are your crazy people who believe in energies, auras, souls, and whatever. They see the world as one living being and are deeply spiritual. They believe there is more to everything (including a piece of rock) than meets the eye.

Compatible marriage partners –

ENTJ
INTJ
INTP

3. Sanguine-Choleric – ENTP

This is the Devil or a Lawyer, which is more or less the same thing. They won’t lose any debate, so don’t bother trying.

Compatible marriage partners –

ENTJ
ENFP
ENFJ

4. Sanguine-Melancholic – ESFJ

This is your kind and rich grandma. She will spoil and love you and even burn the world for you to protect you from harm, but she will beat you silly with a stick if you get your hand caught in the cookie jar.

Compatible marriage partners –

ISTP
ESTJ
ESTP

Related Reading: What Are INFP Relationships? Compatibality & Dating Tips

5. Phlegmatic Pure – INFP

Blessed Family With Baby, Mother Holding Baby In Her Hands And Together Playing With Baby

These are the empathic and caring motherly type that want world peace and to save the starving children in Africa.

Compatible marriage partners –

INFJ
ISFJ
ENFJ

6. Phlegmatic-Sanguine – ISFP

These are the people who see all the beauty in the world and more. They are also very interesting to have as a sexual partner. They probably invented the YOLO culture.

Compatible marriage partners –

ESFP
ISFJ
ESFJ

7. Phlegmatic-Choleric – INTP

This is someone who wants to find a cure for cancer because they can. They would do what they can to make the world a better place for everyone through innovation.

Compatible marriage partners –

ENTP
INFP
ENFP

8. Phlegmatic-Melancholic – ISFJ

This person is a future recipient of a posthumous award for the Medal of Honor. You can expect them to be as loyal as a German Shepherd and Bite like them too.

Compatible marriage partners –

ESFJ
ISFP
ISTJ

Related Reading: What Are ENFP Relationships? Compatibility & Dating Tips

9. Choleric Pure – ISTJ

This is what happens when the school Nerd becomes a billionaire; they are ultra smart, analytical, and dislike horse manure.

Compatible marriage partners –

INFJ
ISTP
ISFJ

10. Choleric-Sanguine – ESTP

Man With Grey Shirt Holding Speaker Announcing Concept

These are your people who put their money where their mouth is. They talk big and act big, they think words are cheap, and action speaks louder than words.

Compatible marriage partners –

ESTJ
ESFP
INFJ

11. Choleric-Phlegmatic – ENFJ

This is the person who is willing to stand in front of a tank in the name of justice, freedom, and other cheesy words that protect the rights of the weak. They are great public speakers and are not afraid to speak their minds.

Compatible marriage partners –

ENFJ
INFJ
ENFP

12. Choleric-Melancholic – ESTJ

These are people who believe in the infallibility of Law and Order. They are OC types who understand that we are all just small parts of a whole and everyone should do their part for the betterment of everyone. To be fair, they like to lead by example.

Compatible marriage partners –

ESTP
ESFJ
ISTJ

Related Reading: What Are ENFJ Relationships? Compatibality & Dating Tips

13. Melancholic Pure – ENTJ

These are your extremists who would rather die than update their OS. They would never leave their comfort zone and would do anything to protect it.

Compatible marriage partners –

INTJ
ENTP
ENFJ

14. Melancholic-Sanguine – ISTP

They are Mad Scientists.

Compatible marriage partners –

ISFP
INFP
ESFP

15. Melancholic-Phlegmatic – INFJ

They are Saints.

Compatible marriage partners –

ISTJ
INFP
INTJ

16. Melancholic-Choleric – INTJ

They are confusing people who say and do different things at any given time. But it works. They are the type who would go beyond boundaries to achieve their goal; they probably coined the phrase. The end justifies the means.

Compatible marriage partners –

INTP
INFJ
INFP

You can take a test here to find out what kind of personality type you have according to the Myers-Briggs test. Also, you can find out through the test what your personality temperament type is and your marriage compatibility with your partner.

Opposites attract, but sometimes they also want to slit each other’s throats.

So, if you plan to marry someone, it’s best to have a personality temperament that’s compatible with your own. Unfortunately, love doesn’t work that way, and coupled with a lot of alcohol and a string of bad decisions, we don’t always end up with the person that’s most suited for us, besides they could be butt ugly!

Related Reading: What Are INTP Relationships? Compatibality & Dating Tips

In an ideal world, regardless of who we are and what we are, we are accepted and loved. But it’s not an ideal world, and in reality, we can’t fit over seven billion people in 16 different categories. Which is why the world is so messed up.

So take everything with a grain of salt. A road map can help get you where you want to go, or you can trust your instinct and enjoy the ride. (It depends on your personality type) None of these personalities, including yours, are particularly bad or good. What we actually do is what determines if it’s something bad or good.

As the psychologist and certified coach, Silvana Mici explains:

People with the same personality features are more likely to last longer in a relationship.

So our personality temperament type and marriage compatibility are just a guide; how we act in the physical world matters the most.

Choosing a marriage partner depends on many different factors. It’s not like shopping for clothes where you can buy all that you can afford as long as you like it and it fits. You only get to choose one and hope it lasts forever.

According to the psychologist Silvana Mici:

It is important that you choose your partner wisely, depending on their personality and character. You must recognize a little bit more about personality features and how to approach each.

So choose your partner carefully and make sure your partner is a perfect fit for you. The kicker here is you better hope that you are the best choice for the person you love too.

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Rachael Pace Author

Rachael Pace is a noted relationship writer associated with Marriage.com. She provides inspiration, support, and empowerment in the form of motivational articles and essays. Rachael enjoys studying the evolution of loving partnerships... Read more and is passionate about writing on them. She believes that everyone should make room for love in their lives and encourages couples to work on overcoming their challenges together. Read less