Chinese age calculator
Enter your date of birth and the date you want the age for (today, for example). The calculator counts your Chinese nominal age the traditional way: you are 1 at birth and gain a year at each Chinese New Year, not on your birthday.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use
- Enter the date of birth.
- Set the second date to today, or to any date you want the age on.
- Read the nominal age, the actual age and the birth year’s animal.
How it works
- both dates are converted to the Chinese lunisolar calendar (with the calendar data built into your browser);
- nominal age = lunar year of the date − lunar year of birth + 1;
- the actual age is the number of birthdays passed;
- the zodiac animal is that of the lunar year of birth.
Example
Born on 15 May 1990, age on 7 November 2026:
- 15 May 1990 is in the lunar year 1990 (Horse); 7 November 2026 is in lunar year 2026;
- nominal age = 2026 − 1990 + 1 = 37;
- actual age 36, since the birthday passed in May.
Someone born on 20 January 2000 belongs to lunar year 1999 (the Rabbit), because the 2000 New Year fell on 5 February.
Tips and common mistakes
- The age goes up at the Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. Around January and February the date matters.
- The calendar dates come from your browser’s built-in data, which covers 1900 to 2099.
- For the Korean way of counting, which adds a year on 1 January, use the Korean age calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is xusui, the Chinese nominal age?
Xusui (虚岁) is the traditional way of counting age in China. A baby is 1 at birth, and everybody becomes a year older at the Chinese New Year rather than on their birthday. It is usually one or two years more than the actual age.
Why can the Chinese age be two years more?
Between the Chinese New Year and your birthday you have already gained a nominal year but not yet an actual one. Someone born in May is two years 'older' from New Year until their birthday, and one year older after it.
Is a birth in January or early February counted in the previous year?
Yes, when it falls before that year's Chinese New Year, which moves between 21 January and 20 February. Such a person belongs to the previous lunar year and its zodiac animal.
Is the Chinese age still used?
Official documents in China use the actual age; the nominal age survives in tradition, for some birthdays and in fortune-telling. The Korean age is a similar count, but it changes on 1 January.