# What is my lunar age?

Works out your Chinese lunar age (nominal age): 1 at birth and one more at every Lunar New Year, with the Korean traditional age, your zodiac animal and the next birthday of the count.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/days/lunar-age-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/days/lunar-age-calculator.json
- Version: 2333d1d08ef3

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Date of birth June 15, 1995, Age on October 5, 2026) on the example date Monday, October 5, 2026: Born on June 15, 1995, your lunar age is 32 (31 in whole years).

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| birth | Date of birth | Your date of birth on the Gregorian calendar. |
| on | Age on | The date to count the age on. Today, unless you change it. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| lunar | Lunar age | The Chinese nominal age: 1 at birth, plus 1 at each Lunar New Year since. |
| age | Age in whole years | The usual (international) age: whole years since birth. |
| korean | Korean traditional age | 1 at birth, plus 1 every January 1. |
| animal | Zodiac animal | The animal of the Chinese year you were born in. |
| nextNewYear | Next Lunar New Year | The next Lunar New Year after the age-on date, when the lunar age goes up by 1. |
| lastNewYear | Lunar New Year of this year | The Lunar New Year that started the Chinese year of the age-on date. |

## Method

Y(d) = the Gregorian year of d, less 1 if d is before that year’s Lunar New Year; lunar age = Y(age-on date) − Y(birth) + 1; Korean traditional age = year(on) − year(birth) + 1.

## Assumptions

- Lunar New Year is the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, in China time (UTC+8), as the Hong Kong Observatory publishes it.
- Dates from 1930 to 2100.
- Some families count the extra year from the start of spring (Lichun, about February 4) instead; this page uses Lunar New Year.

## Worked examples

1. birth = 1995-06-15, on = 2026-10-05 gives lunar = 32, age = 31, korean = 32, animal = Pig, nextNewYear = 2027-02-06, lastNewYear = 2026-02-17. Source: Wikipedia, Chinese zodiac (start dates of each year from 1924 to 2043; 2020 is a Rat year), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac (retrieved 2026-10-05); Wikipedia, East Asian age reckoning (a newborn is 1; Chinese nominal age adds a year at the Lunar New Year, the traditional Korean count on January 1), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning (retrieved 2026-10-05).
2. birth = 2000-01-20, on = 2026-01-10 gives lunar = 27, age = 25, korean = 27, animal = Rabbit, nextNewYear = 2026-02-17, lastNewYear = 2025-01-29. Source: Wikipedia, Chinese zodiac (start dates of each year from 1924 to 2043; 2020 is a Rat year), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac (retrieved 2026-10-05); Wikipedia, East Asian age reckoning (a newborn is 1; Chinese nominal age adds a year at the Lunar New Year, the traditional Korean count on January 1), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning (retrieved 2026-10-05).
3. birth = 2026-02-16, on = 2026-02-17 gives lunar = 2, age = 0, korean = 1, animal = Snake. Source: Wikipedia, Chinese zodiac (start dates of each year from 1924 to 2043; 2020 is a Rat year), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac (retrieved 2026-10-05); Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table (1st Lunar Month dates), https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/gts/time/conversion1_text.htm (retrieved 2026-10-05); Wikipedia, East Asian age reckoning (a newborn is 1; Chinese nominal age adds a year at the Lunar New Year, the traditional Korean count on January 1), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning (retrieved 2026-10-05).
4. birth = 1954-02-03, on = 1954-02-03 gives lunar = 1, korean = 1, animal = Horse, nextNewYear = 1955-01-24. Source: Wikipedia, Chinese zodiac (start dates of each year from 1924 to 2043; 2020 is a Rat year), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac (retrieved 2026-10-05) (1954 starts on February 3).

## FAQ

### What is lunar age?

Lunar age, or nominal age (虚岁), is the traditional Chinese way to count age. A baby is 1 at birth, and everyone adds a year at Lunar New Year, not on their birthday.

### How do I calculate my lunar age?

Take the Chinese year now minus the Chinese year you were born in, plus 1. A date before that year’s Lunar New Year belongs to the previous Chinese year. Born June 15, 1995, on October 5, 2026: 2026 − 1995 + 1 = 32.

### Why is my lunar age 1 or 2 more than my age?

You start at 1, which adds one year. Between Lunar New Year and your birthday you get the second extra year, because the lunar count has gone up and your birthday has not come yet.

### How is Korean age different?

The traditional Korean count also starts at 1 but adds a year every January 1. Since June 2023 South Korea uses the international age in law.

### Which zodiac animal am I?

The animal of the Chinese year you were born in. Born January 20, 2000, before Lunar New Year on February 5, you are a Rabbit of the 1999 year, not a Dragon.

### When does my lunar age go up next?

At the next Lunar New Year. In 2027 it is February 6.

## Sources

- Wikipedia, East Asian age reckoning: the nominal age count in China and the Korean count. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Wikipedia, Chinese zodiac: the start date of each Chinese year from 1924 to 2043. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table: the first day of the 1st lunar month each year. https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/gts/time/conversion1_text.htm (retrieved 2026-10-05)