How to read the result
The method compares two numbers. If the mother's lunar age and the lunar month of conception are both even or both odd, the tradition says girl; if one is even and the other odd, it says boy. Because the lunar month here is estimated from the Chinese New Year date, results near the start of a lunar month may shift by one.
The chart is a tradition, not science, so it is right about half the time. For a second opinion just for fun, take the baby gender predictor quiz. Whatever the answer, you can see what your son will look like or what your daughter will look like from a photo of each parent, or work out your chances of twins with the twins calculator.
Lunar age vs Western age
Most mistakes with the Chinese gender chart come from the age. In traditional counting a baby is 1 at birth and everyone turns a year older at Chinese New Year, not on their birthday. These examples show how the same mother can have a different lunar age depending on the dates.
| Mother born | Conception | Western age | Lunar age |
|---|
| 15 June 1995 | 1 November 2026 | 31 | 32 |
| 10 January 1995 (before Chinese New Year) | 1 November 2026 | 31 | 33 |
| 15 June 1995 | 10 January 2026 (before Chinese New Year) | 30 | 31 |
The calculator works this out for you from Chinese New Year dates, so you only need the two dates.
What studies found
Researchers tested the chart against 2,840,755 births recorded in Sweden between 1973 and 2006. They worked out each mother’s lunar age and month of conception, applied the chart, and compared the prediction with the baby’s actual sex. The agreement was no better than chance, and it did not improve for any age group, education level or year. Claims online of 90% accuracy or more are not backed by any published study.
Chance itself is not exactly 50/50: about 105 boys are born for every 100 girls, so simply guessing “boy” every time is right a little over half the time.
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See what my baby will look like →Questions parents ask
How does the Chinese gender predictor work?
It uses the mother's lunar age at conception and the lunar month of conception. In the simple form used here, when both numbers are even or both are odd it predicts a girl, and when one is even and one is odd it predicts a boy.
What is lunar age?
In the traditional Chinese way of counting, a baby is 1 at birth and everyone gets a year older at Chinese New Year, so your lunar age is usually one or two years more than your Western age.
Is the Chinese gender chart accurate?
No. A study of more than 2.8 million Swedish births found it was right about 50% of the time, no better than tossing a coin. Enjoy it as a tradition, and rely on an ultrasound or blood test for the real answer.
Should I use the conception date or the due date?
The method uses the month of conception. If you only know your due date, conception was about 38 weeks (266 days) before it, or roughly two weeks after the first day of your last period.
Why do different Chinese gender charts give different answers?
Charts online use different versions of the table and different ways of counting lunar age and lunar months. A one-month or one-year difference flips the result, which is another sign the method is a tradition rather than a measurement.
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