Kua number calculator for male and female, after 2000

How the Kua number is calculated

The Kua number comes from the Chinese solar year of birth, which starts at Lichun around 4 February, and from sex. For a man born in 1990: 9 + 0 = 9, then 10 − 9 = 1; for a woman born the same year: 9 + 5 = 14, reduced to 5, which becomes 8. Numbers 1, 3, 4 and 9 form the East group; 2, 6, 7 and 8 the West group.

The formula

Add the last two digits of the solar year until one digit remains. Before 2000, a man computes 10 − that digit and a woman that digit + 5; from 2000 on, it is 9 − digit and digit + 6. A two-digit result is reduced again. 5 has no trigram, so it becomes 2 for a man and 8 for a woman. Both sets of formulas describe one 9-year cycle: the number drops by 1 a year for men and rises by 1 for women.

Solar year and Lichun

The feng shui year starts neither on 1 January nor at the lunar New Year but at Lichun, when the Sun reaches 315° of longitude. In 2026 it fell on 4 February at 04:02 Beijing time, so someone born on 20 January 1990 counts as 1989. The tool computes that instant to within 10 minutes (J. Meeus formula, at most 8 minutes off the 2001-2030 table on Wikipedia's Lichun page); if you were born that very day, tick the box according to your time of birth.

Worked example

Woman born on 15 March 1990: solar year 1990, 9 + 0 = 9, 9 + 5 = 14, 1 + 4 = 5, replaced by 8. Kua 8, West group: Sheng Qi southwest, Tian Yi northwest, Yan Nian west, Fu Wei northeast.

Directions and limits

The eight directions come from the Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) school, whose classic manual is the Ba Zhai Ming Jing (Qing dynasty). They follow from the Kua trigram by changing one line after another. This is a tradition, not a scientific finding. For your year's animal and element, see the Chinese zodiac calculator or zodiac sign and Chinese zodiac.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Kua number of a woman born in 2000?

Born after Lichun on 4 February 2000, her solar year is 2000: 0 + 0 = 0, then 0 + 6 = 6, so Kua 6, West group. Born in January 2000, she counts as 1999: 9 + 9 = 18, 1 + 8 = 9, 9 + 5 = 14, 1 + 4 = 5, which becomes 8.

Why does the formula change after 2000?

The Kua number follows a 9-year cycle, and going from 99 to 00 in the last two digits would break it. The fix is 9 − digit instead of 10 − digit for men, and digit + 6 instead of + 5 for women. A man born in 1999 has Kua 1 and a man born in 2000 has Kua 9, exactly as the cycle requires.

Should I use 1 January, Chinese New Year or Lichun?

This calculator uses Lichun, around 4 February (3 February in 2025, 4 February in 2026), which opens the feng shui solar year. Some sources use 1 January or the lunar New Year instead, which changes the result for births in January and early February.

What if my calculation gives 5?

5 is the centre of the Lo Shu square and has no trigram. It is replaced by 2 (Kun, southwest) for a man and by 8 (Gen, northeast) for a woman; both belong to the West group.

Is this tool really free?

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Is my data protected?

Yes. All processing is performed directly and securely inside your browser. No personal data is sent to our servers.