Tired of waiting for the second-trimester ultrasound to finally find out whether the Chinese pregnancy calendar predicts blue or pink for your future newborn? This ancestral tool offers a playful way to lift the veil on the mystery by simply crossing your lunar age and your month of conception, according to a thousand-year-old imperial legend. Here you will discover how to avoid the usual calculation mistakes so you can get a prediction and enjoy your wait with an extra touch of magic while staying perfectly calm and reassured.
Get your prediction in 10 seconds
Two dates are all you need. The lunar age and lunar month are calculated for you.
Understanding how the Chinese pregnancy calendar works
Expecting a baby means living through an incredible suspense. To have a little fun, many people are curious about the mysterious history of this ancestral calendar.
An imperial legend from the royal tomb in Beijing
This manuscript was discovered 700 years ago in a tomb near Beijing. The document helped the imperial family ensure a male heir. It was a precious secret for the Chinese elite of the past.
This method still fascinates parents. It is a mix of playful curiosity and respect for tradition. It stands the test of time without showing its age.
Discovered 700 years ago near Beijing, this manuscript was used by the elite to secure male heirs. It is now kept at the Beijing Institute of Sciences.
Despite its age, the tool remains a point of reference. It is an integral part of modern motherhood folklore.
The original is carefully preserved at the Beijing Institute of Sciences.
The principle of crossing age and month of conception
Reading the chart is simple. Cross the mother's age at conception with the month in which the baby was conceived.
The predictions are valid for 2026 as well as 2027. The calculation system does not change from one calendar year to the next.
The code is simple. In the chart below, the letter B on a blue background means a boy, the letter G on a pink background a girl.
Find out which Greek girl name to choose to start picturing your baby depending on the result you get.
Calculating your lunar age precisely for 2026 and 2027
Let's get practical, because the calculation is not as straightforward as it seems.
Why your lunar age doesn't match your calendar age
In China, a child is already one year old at birth. The time spent in the womb counts as a full year. That is the traditional rule.
But this age doesn't go up on your birthday: it goes up at Chinese New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20 depending on the year. So you are one year older than your calendar age if your birthday has already passed this year, and two years older if it hasn't yet.
This is the most widespread mistake on the web, where you read everywhere that you just need to add one year. The calculator at the top of the page relies on the official Chinese New Year dates and spares you this trap.
- Find the date of Chinese New Year in your birth year
- Count the Chinese New Years you have lived through since then, then add 1
- Identify the lunar month of fertilization
- Cross the two values in the chart
1. Your date of birth. 2. Your date of conception. 3. The calculator works out your lunar age and lunar month. 4. It highlights your cell in the grid.
How Chinese New Year affects early-year births
Be careful with births in January or February. The lunar calendar does not begin on January 1. The dates vary every year.
Check the date of Chinese New Year in your birth year. It may change your actual lunar age and your result.
Aim for fertilization, not your last period. This biological nuance is crucial. It ensures the accuracy of your test.
Using lunar age is essential. Otherwise, the final result will be skewed.
The “+1 year” rule you read everywhere is wrong in nearly one case out of two. Women born late in the year are the most exposed: if you were born in December, the gap is two years more than eight times out of ten.
Chinese pregnancy calendar 2027: the dates that change
The grid stays the same from one year to the next. What changes in 2027 are the dates of the lunar months, and your lunar age, which goes up a year at Chinese New Year on February 6, 2027.
A conception in January 2027 therefore still belongs to lunar year 2026, in the twelfth month, with the 2026 lunar age. This is the trap for early-year baby plans: people look for their date among the 2027 months, while fertilization still counts for the previous year.
| Lunar month | Conception in 2026 | Conception in 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 17 to March 18 | February 6 to March 7 |
| 2 | March 19 to April 16 | March 8 to April 6 |
| 3 | April 17 to May 16 | April 7 to May 5 |
| 4 | May 17 to June 14 | May 6 to June 4 |
| 5 | June 15 to July 13 | June 5 to July 3 |
| 6 | July 14 to August 12 | July 4 to August 1 |
| 7 | August 13 to September 10 | August 2 to August 31 |
| 8 | September 11 to October 9 | September 1 to September 29 |
| 9 | October 10 to November 8 | September 30 to October 28 |
| 10 | November 9 to December 8 | October 29 to November 27 |
| 11 | December 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027 | November 28 to December 27 |
| 12 | January 8, 2027 to February 5, 2027 | December 28, 2027 to January 25, 2028 |
The calculator at the top of the page knows these dates through the end of 2028. Enter a conception planned for 2027: it automatically applies the right lunar month and lunar age.
The Chinese prediction chart
B boy G girl Rows: your lunar age. Columns: the lunar month of conception.
Swipe the chart to the left to see all the months.
| Age | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | G | B | G | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| 19 | B | G | B | G | G | B | B | B | B | B | G | G |
| 20 | G | B | G | B | B | B | B | B | B | G | B | B |
| 21 | B | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G |
| 22 | G | B | B | G | B | G | G | B | G | G | G | G |
| 23 | B | B | G | B | B | G | B | G | B | B | B | G |
| 24 | B | G | B | B | G | B | B | G | G | G | G | G |
| 25 | G | B | B | G | G | B | G | B | B | B | B | B |
| 26 | B | G | B | G | G | B | G | B | G | G | G | G |
| 27 | G | B | G | B | G | G | B | B | B | B | G | B |
| 28 | B | G | B | G | G | G | B | B | B | B | G | G |
| 29 | G | B | G | G | B | B | B | B | B | G | G | G |
| 30 | B | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | B | B |
| 31 | B | G | B | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | B |
| 32 | B | G | B | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | B |
| 33 | G | B | G | B | G | G | G | B | G | G | G | B |
| 34 | B | G | B | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | B | B |
| 35 | B | B | G | B | G | G | G | B | G | G | B | B |
| 36 | G | B | B | G | B | G | G | G | B | B | B | B |
| 37 | B | G | B | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | G | B |
| 38 | G | B | G | B | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | G |
| 39 | B | G | B | B | B | G | G | B | G | B | G | G |
| 40 | G | B | G | B | G | B | B | G | B | G | B | G |
| 41 | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | B | G | B | G | B |
| 42 | G | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | B | G | B | G |
| 43 | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | B | B | B |
| 44 | B | B | G | B | B | B | G | B | G | B | G | G |
| 45 | G | B | B | G | G | G | B | G | B | G | B | B |
| Age | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Don't know your lunar age? The calculator above works it out for you and highlights your cell in this chart.
Need the chart offline? Here is the full grid as an image, to save on your phone so you can check it whenever you like.

To read this chart, two things are enough: your lunar age and the lunar month of conception. A lunar month is the period between two new moons, or about twenty-nine days, and its boundaries shift every year. In 2026, for example, the first lunar month begins on February 17. A month of the Gregorian calendar therefore never coincides with a lunar month: the gap is one month in 57% of cases and two months the rest of the time. Here again, the calculator settles it for you.
How reliable is the method against biological reality?
Having fun with the calculations is one thing, but what does science really say about these ancestral predictions?
The lottery of chance and the decisive role of paternal chromosomes
Biologically, it's the future dad who decides everything. Sperm carry either an X chromosome or a Y chromosome. This unique meeting determines sex at the moment of conception.
The Chinese calendar completely ignores this male reality. It is based solely on lunar cycles and the mother's energy. It is a spiritual view of the body. Science is absent here.
For twins, the system shows its limits. It cannot predict two different sexes for the same twin pregnancy.
Keep one simple detail in mind. You always have a 50% chance of getting it right.
Comparison with the Mayan method and medical tests
Other traditions exist, starting with the Mayan pregnancy calendar, which plays on the parity of your age and the month rather than on lunar cycles. The Japanese calendar follows yet another logic. Still, calculations and results often vary from one method to another.
Faced with this folklore, medical tests remain the only reliable benchmarks. The second-trimester ultrasound or the NIPT (non-invasive prenatal test) are infallible. They concretely observe the fetus or its genetic code.
| Method | Type | Reliability | Ideal timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Calendar | Folklore | 50% | Conception |
| Mayan Calendar | Folklore | 50% | Conception |
| T2 ultrasound | Medical | 95% | 5th month |
| NIPT | Medical | 99% | 10th week |
Supporting the wait with serenity and natural vitality
Beyond predictions, the goal remains to live these nine months in a cocoon of gentleness and health.
Chinese calendar or lunar calendar: are they the same thing?
Both expressions refer to the same tool, and this is a frequent source of confusion. People talk about a lunar pregnancy calendar because the method relies entirely on the cycle of the moon: the mother's lunar age and the lunar month of conception, never the dates of the Gregorian calendar.
The nuance has concrete consequences. A lunar year has twelve months of about twenty-nine and a half days, which is eleven days shorter than a calendar year. This gap is what forces a thirteenth month to be added in some years, and why Chinese New Year moves around every year between January 21 and February 20.
Chinese calendar, lunar calendar and Chinese pregnancy chart all refer to the same thing. What changes from one source to another is not the chart, it's the way lunar age is calculated. That's where most mistakes happen.
To predict a girl or a boy in 2026, it is therefore the lunar dates that count, and they never line up with the months of the calendar. A conception on January 5, 2026 still falls in the eleventh lunar month of the previous year. You have to wait until January 19 to move into the twelfth, then February 17 to finally enter the first lunar month of 2026, which will end on March 18.

Pregnancy psychology and zodiac sign folklore
Wanting to control everything is human. Predicting the sex often calms early anxiety. It above all creates a precious imaginary bond with the child gently growing inside you.
2026: Year of the Horse (Momentum). 2027: Year of the Goat (Gentleness). 2028: Year of the Monkey (Liveliness).
Chinese astrology adds a touch of magic. Babies born from February 17, 2026 arrive under the sign of the Horse, a symbol of momentum and freedom. In 2027, the Goat will embody gentleness and creativity. It's a lovely complement to the calendar.
Have fun with this ancestral tool from Beijing by crossing your lunar age and the month of conception. This traditional Chinese pregnancy chart is perfect for dreaming about your future treasure right now. Prepare calmly for their arrival while waiting for the official confirmation from your ultrasound!
Lunar pregnancy calendar: is it the same method?
Yes, in the vast majority of cases, “lunar pregnancy calendar” and “Chinese pregnancy calendar” refer to exactly the same thing. If you are looking for a lunar calendar to find out whether you're expecting a girl or a boy, you're in the right place: the chart above is the one you're looking for.
The explanation lies in the nature of the Chinese calendar itself. It is not a solar calendar like ours, but a lunisolar calendar: its months follow the phases of the Moon, and its year begins at Chinese New Year, in January or February depending on the year. That is why the method requires two lunar data points:
- Your lunar age at the time of conception, not your calendar age.
- The lunar month of conception, which doesn't coincide with the month of the Gregorian calendar.
In other words, the Chinese calendar is a lunar calendar. The two expressions circulate in parallel, and many websites use one for the other.
Not to be confused with the lunar birth calendar
Only one thing deserves to be distinguished. There is another belief, unrelated to predicting sex: the one holding that the full moon triggers births. It rests on the idea that pregnancy lasts ten lunar months and that lunar attraction acts on the amniotic fluid.
The available data do not confirm this influence: studies carried out on large numbers of births find no peak at the full moon. This is therefore a completely different subject from the prediction chart presented here, and it can't be used to guess the baby's sex.
Lunar, Chinese, Mayan calendar: which one to choose?
| Name used | What it is | What it predicts |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar pregnancy calendar | Another name for the Chinese calendar | The baby's sex |
| Chinese pregnancy calendar | The chart on this page, lunar age crossed with the month of conception | The baby's sex |
| Mayan pregnancy calendar | A different method, based on the parity of age and month | The baby's sex |
| Lunar birth calendar | Belief in the influence of the full moon | The date of birth, with no proven basis |
FAQ
Is the lunar pregnancy calendar the same as the Chinese calendar?
Yes. The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar: its months follow the phases of the Moon, and the method relies on the mother's lunar age and the lunar month of conception. Both expressions refer to the same prediction chart.
Is the 2027 Chinese pregnancy calendar different from the 2026 one?
No, the grid is the same every year. Only the dates of the lunar months change: lunar year 2027 begins on February 6, 2027, and a conception in January 2027 still counts in the twelfth month of 2026. Your lunar age, for its part, goes up a year at Chinese New Year.
Where exactly does this mysterious Chinese pregnancy calendar come from?
Legend has it that this precious manuscript was discovered more than 700 years ago in a royal tomb near Beijing. Originally, it helped the imperial family favor the birth of boys to secure the line of succession. Today, the original is carefully preserved at the Beijing Institute of Sciences and continues to fascinate expectant mothers.
It is an ancestral tool that blends playful curiosity with respect for age-old traditions. Even though it has no medical basis, it remains an essential and fun stop in modern motherhood folklore for trying to guess whether you'll be preparing a pink or a blue nursery.
How does the chart actually work to predict the baby's sex?
It's very simple and quick to use! The principle relies on crossing two key pieces of information: your lunar age at the time of conception and the lunar month in which the baby was conceived. Looking at the chart, you'll find a cell marked B for a boy or G for a girl at the intersection of these two data points.
The tool is perfectly valid for your plans in 2026 as well as 2027, because the ancestral calculation system does not change from one calendar year to the next. It's a visual method that lets you project yourself a little further into your pregnancy, even if it should remain above all a bit of entertainment.
How do I calculate my lunar age accurately?
This is the small subtlety that changes everything, and the most frequent mistake! According to Chinese tradition, a child is already one year old at birth, because the time spent in the mother's womb is counted as a full year. This is known as the prenatal year.
But be careful: this age doesn't go up on your birthday, it goes up at Chinese New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20 depending on the year. So you are one year older than your calendar age if your birthday has already passed, and two years older if it hasn't yet. The “+1 year” rule you read everywhere is wrong in nearly one case out of two: the calculator at the top of the page spares you the mistake.
How reliable is this ancestral method, really?
Let's be honest with each other: it's a bit like a coin toss, with about a 50% chance of getting it right. Scientifically, it's the future dad who determines the sex through his chromosomes (X or Y), a biological reality the calendar cannot take into account. It is therefore a spiritual and playful approach, but not a medical one.
For a certain answer, nothing beats the second-trimester ultrasound or a fetal DNA test (NIPT). In the meantime, have fun with the Chinese calendar to share a lighthearted moment with those around you, while keeping in mind that chance often does things very well!
Is the Chinese calendar more accurate than the Mayan method?
Both methods are among those adorable "old wives' tales" and are equally reliable. While the Chinese calendar crosses lunar age and lunar month, the Mayan method plays on the parity of the numbers (if age and month are both even or both odd, it would be a girl). Neither is validated by science.
The main thing is to live these nine months with serenity and gentleness. Whether you prefer the Chinese or the Mayan calendar, these tools are here to feed your imagination and help you build a first bond with your child while you wait to officially discover their little face during medical exams.
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