What this calculator does

Your results come from BaZi, also called the Four Pillars. BaZi means "Eight Characters" because each pillar contains two characters: a Heavenly Stem on top and an Earthly Branch on the bottom. This calculator turns your birth details into those four pillars so you can read the chart without memorizing the system.

How to fill out the input panel

Birth Date

Select your birth month, then enter the day and year. A Four Pillars chart is built from the complete date, not just the birth year.

Birth Time

Enter hours and minutes. BaZi uses two hour blocks (each tied to an Earthly Branch), so the exact time can change the Hour Pillar if the birth time is close to a boundary.

"I don't know my exact birth time"

If you are unsure, check the box. You can still learn from the parts of the chart that do not rely on the hour, and you avoid assigning an Hour Pillar that might be wrong.

Birth Location

Type your birth city and choose "Search City Name" or "Use Map." Location is used to calculate True Solar Time for your birthplace.

Coordinates and Timezone

After a location is chosen, the calculator fills in latitude, longitude, and a timezone. These values power the True Solar Time correction and the Equation of Time correction, aligning the chart to the sun's timing at your birth location, not just clock time.

How to read the results box

The four columns: Hour, Day (You), Month, Year

Your results display as four vertical pillars, shown left to right as Hour, Day (You), Month, and Year. Each pillar is a pair: Stem on top, Branch on bottom.

The Day column is labeled "Day (You)" because the Day Stem is the Day Master, the personal reference point used in BaZi. This page keeps things beginner-friendly, so you are learning what you are seeing, not getting buried in interpretation.

Row 1: Heavenly Stems

The top row shows the Heavenly Stems for each pillar. In the example image you see the Chinese character, the Pinyin name (Wu, Geng, Jia, Gui), and the element label (Earth, Metal, Wood, Water). Stems are one of ten and each expresses an element in a Yin or Yang form.

Row 2: Earthly Branches

The second row shows the Earthly Branches for each pillar. Branches are one of twelve. Each Branch connects to an animal sign and carries element information. In the example, Branch Pinyin (Yin, Shen, You) appears with an element and Yin or Yang description beneath it.

Chinese characters and Pinyin

The characters are the traditional symbols used in classical charts. Pinyin is simply the pronunciation guide so you can recognize each Stem and Branch.

Elements and Yin or Yang

Each pillar includes element information so you can see which element is expressed in that position. Yin and Yang describe how that energy tends to express itself. They are not "good" or "bad," just different qualities.

The animal tiles

At the bottom of each pillar is an animal tile. This is not only the Year animal. Each Earthly Branch corresponds to one animal, so you can have up to four animal signs across the four pillars. That is why you might see Tiger in one pillar and Monkey in another.

Why this calculator uses True Solar Time and Equation of Time

This calculator is built for precision. It uses your latitude and longitude to apply True Solar Time correction and it applies the Equation of Time correction. Many online calculators skip these steps, which can change the Hour Pillar for some births. These adjustments help ensure the Hour Pillar reflects the sun's timing for your exact birthplace. This matters most when a birth time sits near a two hour Branch boundary, because a small shift can change the Hour Branch and therefore the Hour Pillar.

A simple way to use the chart

Start by identifying the Day (You) pillar so you know what the chart is anchored to. Then scan across the four pillars to notice the mix of elements and the set of Branch animals that appear.

This page is here to make the calculator readable. Your guides are where deeper interpretation and application live. Here, the goal is understanding the boxes so the chart feels like a clear map instead of a mystery.