Chinese Calculator

Chinese Zodiac & Age Calculator

Discover your Chinese Zodiac animal and current age based on your Gregorian birth year. The Chinese Zodiac follows a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by a different animal.

function calculateZodiacAndAge() { var birthYearInput = document.getElementById("birthYearInput"); var birthYear = parseInt(birthYearInput.value); var zodiacAnimalResult = document.getElementById("zodiacAnimalResult"); var currentAgeResult = document.getElementById("currentAgeResult"); // Clear previous results zodiacAnimalResult.textContent = ""; currentAgeResult.textContent = ""; if (isNaN(birthYear) || birthYear < 1) { alert("Please enter a valid birth year."); return; } var currentYear = new Date().getFullYear(); var age = currentYear – birthYear; if (age < 0) { alert("Birth year cannot be in the future."); return; } var zodiacAnimals = ["Rat", "Ox", "Tiger", "Rabbit", "Dragon", "Snake", "Horse", "Goat", "Monkey", "Rooster", "Dog", "Pig"]; // The cycle starts with Rat in 1900. // (year – 1900) % 12 gives the index. // For years before 1900, the modulo can be negative, so we adjust. var zodiacIndex = (birthYear – 1900) % 12; if (zodiacIndex < 0) { zodiacIndex += 12; // Ensure positive index for years before 1900 } var zodiacAnimal = zodiacAnimals[zodiacIndex]; zodiacAnimalResult.textContent = zodiacAnimal; currentAgeResult.textContent = age + " years old"; }

Understanding the Chinese Zodiac and Your Age

The Chinese Zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao (生肖), is a repeating cycle of 12 years, with each year represented by an animal and its reputed attributes. Originating from ancient Chinese astronomy and astrology, it's a popular folk classification scheme that has persisted for thousands of years. The 12 animals in order are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or Sheep/Ram), Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

How Your Zodiac Animal is Determined

Your Chinese Zodiac animal is traditionally determined by the lunar year in which you were born. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which starts on January 1st, the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) typically falls between late January and mid-February. For simplicity, this calculator uses your Gregorian birth year to determine your Zodiac animal. If you were born in January or early February, your Zodiac animal might actually be that of the previous Gregorian year, depending on the exact date of the Chinese New Year in your birth year.

• Rat: Quick-witted, resourceful, versatile, kind.
• Ox: Diligent, dependable, strong, determined.
• Tiger: Brave, confident, competitive.
• Rabbit: Quiet, elegant, kind, responsible.
• Dragon: Confident, intelligent, enthusiastic.
• Snake: Enigmatic, intelligent, wise.
• Horse: Animated, active, energetic.
• Goat: Calm, gentle, sympathetic.
• Monkey: Sharp, smart, curious.
• Rooster: Observant, hardworking, courageous.
• Dog: Lovely, honest, prudent.
• Pig: Compassionate, generous, diligent.

Calculating Your Current Age

Calculating your current age is straightforward: it's simply the difference between the current Gregorian year and your Gregorian birth year. This calculator provides your age based on this common method. In some traditional Chinese contexts, age might be calculated differently (e.g., counting age from conception or adding one year at Chinese New Year), but for general purposes, the Gregorian calculation is widely understood.

Why Know Your Chinese Zodiac?

Knowing your Chinese Zodiac animal can be a fun way to explore aspects of your personality, compatibility with others, and even predictions for the year ahead. Many people in Chinese culture and beyond enjoy learning about the characteristics associated with their birth animal and how they might influence their life path. It's a rich part of cultural heritage and a fascinating system of belief.

Examples:

Let's look at a few examples:

• If you were born in 1988:
  • Your Chinese Zodiac animal is the Dragon.
  • If the current year is 2024, your age would be 2024 – 1988 = 36 years old.
• If you were born in 1995:
  • Your Chinese Zodiac animal is the Pig.
  • If the current year is 2024, your age would be 2024 – 1995 = 29 years old.
• If you were born in 2000:
  • Your Chinese Zodiac animal is the Dragon.
  • If the current year is 2024, your age would be 2024 – 2000 = 24 years old.