In traditional Chinese age counting, a baby is one at birth and everyone ages on Lunar New Year rather than their birthday, so virtual age is usually one or two years more than actual age. It is still used for some customs, fortune telling and celebrations. Lunar New Year dates here are calculated astronomically and may differ by a day in rare years.
How to use the Lunar Age Calculator
- Date of birth
- Date
Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.
How it works
Enter your date of birth and the date to compare.
Tips
- Check whether the end date should be included – event durations usually include it, elapsed time does not.
- Months have 28–31 days, so “one month” is counted by calendar date, not as 30 days.
- Use 24-hour time or set AM/PM carefully when entering clock times.
- Time zones and daylight-saving changes are not applied unless the calculator says so.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Counting a 30-day month when a calendar month is meant (or the reverse).
- Forgetting leap years when counting days across February.
- Mixing decimal hours (7.5 h) with clock time (7:30).
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | A date |
| Date | A date |
What each result means
- Virtual age (虚岁) = [Current lunar year] – [Lunar year of birth] + 1
- Actual age = floor(monthsbetween([Date of birth], [Date])÷12)
- Chinese zodiac animal = mod([Lunar year of birth] – 4, 12)
Formula
Lunar year of a date = calendar year, minus 1 if before that year's Lunar New YearVirtual age = lunar year now − lunar year of birth + 1Lunar New Year ≈ the new moon between 21 January and 20 FebruaryWorked example
Inputs — Date of birth: 1996-01-30; Date: 2026-10-25.
Results — Lunar year of birth = 1995; Current lunar year = 2026; Virtual age (虚岁) = 32 years; Actual age = 30 years; Chinese zodiac animal = Pig 🐖; Lunar New Year this year = Tue, February 17, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chinese virtual age?
Age counted as 1 at birth, plus one every Lunar New Year.
Why is my lunar age two years more than my real age?
If your birthday hasn't come yet this year but Lunar New Year has, the difference is two.
When is Lunar New Year?
On the new moon between 21 January and 20 February.
What formula does the Lunar Age Calculator use?
Lunar year of a date = calendar year, minus 1 if before that year's Lunar New Year.