How do I know which element I am?

Look at your Day Master, the heavenly stem of your birth day: 甲 and 乙 are Wood, 丙 and 丁 Fire, 戊 and 己 Earth, 庚 and 辛 Metal, 壬 and 癸 Water. Enter your birth date above and the calculator shows it first.

Is my element based on my birth year?

Not in Bazi. The year gives your zodiac animal and the year nayin, which is what older relatives often mean by your "element". Bazi uses the Day Master element, which comes from the day you were born.

How are the five elements calculated?

Convert the birth moment into four pillars, read the day stem for your element, then count the elements across all stems and branches. Better methods also count the hidden stems in each branch and give the birth month extra weight.

Why do different calculators give different percentages?

They count differently: visible characters only or hidden stems too, different hidden-stem weights, with or without season weighting, and sometimes different pillars because of true solar time or the day boundary. The Day Master is the same in all of them.

How do I find out which element I am missing?

Count the elements in your four pillars. One with no stem and no branch is missing on the surface; check the hidden stems too, because an Earth branch often holds a trace of it. The calculator lists each missing or weak element and where any trace hides.

If an element is missing, should I add it?

Only if it is one of your favorable elements. A missing element that your chart does not need is harmless, sometimes even helpful. The favorable elements follow from your Day Master's strength, not from the count.

Can I find my element without my birth time?

Yes. The Day Master comes from the birth date, so your element is certain. Only the balance changes: without the hour pillar, two of the eight characters are unknown, so treat the percentages as approximate.

What element is each heavenly stem and earthly branch?

Stems: 甲乙 Wood, 丙丁 Fire, 戊己 Earth, 庚辛 Metal, 壬癸 Water. Branches: 寅卯 Wood, 巳午 Fire, 申酉 Metal, 亥子 Water, and 辰戌丑未 Earth. The lookup and tables above add yin and yang and the hidden stems.

What is the nayin element, and which is more accurate?

The nayin gives each pair of the sixty-pillar cycle a poetic element, such as 路旁土 "earth by the roadside", usually read from the birth year. It is a folk system shared by everyone born that year. For a personal reading, the Day Master element is the one to use.

Is a chart with all five elements a good chart?

Not by itself. Having all five (五行俱全) is pleasant, but what matters is whether the elements flow and whether the ones your Day Master needs are strong enough. Many excellent charts are missing an element.

Five Elements Calculator

Find your element from your birth date, see how much Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water your chart holds, where each one comes from, and whether a missing element is worth adding.

Updated October 17, 2026

Your birth details

Date of birth

Time of birth

I don't know my birth time

Place of birth

Sets your time zone and true solar time.

GenderSets the direction of your luck pillars.

No birth time? It still works: the hour pillar is left blank and six characters are counted instead of eight. Everything is calculated in your browser.

Example chart

Your element is Fire: Day Master 丁 Ding Fire

庚午辛巳丁丑丁未

Open the full chart in the calculator

Your element

火

丁Fire

Yin Fire · Candlelight

Warmth and light: expression, enthusiasm and being seen.

Your Day Master: Ding Fire The Fire element

Day Master strength

Strong56/100

Very weakBalancedVery strong

Your birth month belongs to Fire, so the seasonal state of your element is Prosperous. Strength decides whether your chart wants more of its own element or less.

Check your strength in detail

Year nayin

庚午路旁土

Your year pillar 庚午 carries the nayin 路旁土, a Earth nayin. When an older relative says "you have Earth fate", this is usually what they mean. Bazi readings use your Day Master instead: 丁 Ding Fire.

Day Master vs nayin

Your Bazi five elements chart

Your element
Favorable
Unfavorable

An even split would be 20% each. Here 30% or more is strong, above 12.5% up to 30% balanced, 12.5% or less weak (one visible character in eight) and 0 missing; the largest share is marked strongest. These are display bands, not a classical rule.

Three methods, side by side

The same eight characters give three different sets of numbers, depending on whether hidden stems count and whether the birth month weighs more. That is why two websites rarely agree. Why calculators disagree

Element
木Wood	0/8	2.8%	1.1%
火Fire	4/8▲	41%▲	55%▲
土Earth	2/8	26%	17%
金Metal	2/8	26%	22%
水Water	0/8	4.6%	4.6%

Where does Fire come from?

Tap an element on the bars or the diagram. Highlighted characters are the ones that count under the method you picked.

Hour丁未

己main
丁mid
乙res

Day丁丑

己main
癸mid
辛res

Month辛巳

丙main
庚mid
戊res

Year庚午

丁main
己mid

丁Year · hidden in 午Main qi+1
丙Month · hidden in 巳Main qi+1
丁Day · stem+1
丁Hour · stem+1
丁Hour · hidden in 未Middle qi+0.5

Fire: 4.5 of 10.9 points41%

Missing or weak elements: worth adding?

Judged on stems plus hidden stems. Day Master strength: Strong. Favorable: Water, Metal. Go easy on: Fire, Wood.

木
Wood has no visible character; it only hides in 未 (乙, residual qi).
No need to add
Wood sits on your unfavorable side. Having little of it works in your favor, so there is nothing to fix.
For your Day Master, Wood is the Resource family:Indirect Resource Direct Resource
The Wood element
水
Water has no visible character; it only hides in 丑 (癸, middle qi).
Worth adding
Water is one of your favorable elements, so the gap matters. Bringing more Water into colors, places, habits and timing is the traditional advice.
For your Day Master, Water is the Power family:Seven Killings Direct Officer
The Water element

See your favorable elements

Hidden stems are weighted 1, 0.5 and 0.3 for main, middle and residual qi. The season view doubles the month branch, multiplies the day branch by 1.2 and lets a complete three-harmony or seasonal frame pull half of the other qi toward its element.

What element am I? How the five elements are calculated

In Bazi (八字, the Four Pillars), "your element" is the element of your Day Master (日主): the heavenly stem of the day you were born. The other seven characters tell you how much support or pressure that element gets.

1
Turn your birth moment into four pillars
Year, month, day and hour each become a stem and a branch: eight characters. The year changes at the Start of Spring (立春, around 4 February), the month at each solar term, the day at 23:00.
2
Read the day stem
The stem of the day pillar is you. 甲 and 乙 are Wood, 丙 and 丁 Fire, 戊 and 己 Earth, 庚 and 辛 Metal, 壬 and 癸 Water. That is your element.
3
Count the five elements
Tally every stem and branch, then open the branches for their hidden stems and weigh the birth month. An element with no share at all is called missing (缺).

Worked example

The example chart in the calculator: born 12 May 1990 at 14:30 in Taipei.

1The four pillars are 庚午 (year), 辛巳 (month), 丁丑 (day) and 丁未 (hour).
2The day stem is 丁, Yin Fire, so this person's element is Fire: a Ding Fire Day Master.
3Counting the eight characters: Fire 4, Earth 2, Metal 2, Wood 0, Water 0. By the simple count, Wood and Water are missing.
4Open the branches and that changes: 丑 hides 癸 (Water, middle qi) and 未 hides 乙 (Wood, residual qi). Weighted, Water is 4.6% and Wood 2.8%: light, not absent.
5Born in a 巳 month, the start of summer, Fire is in season. Doubling the month branch lifts Fire to 55%: a strong, hot chart that needs Water and Metal. So of the two "missing" elements, Water is worth adding and Wood is not.

Year庚午

Month辛巳

Day丁丑

Hour丁未

Element	Characters	Hidden stems	Season
木Wood	0/8	2.8%	1.1%
火Fire	4/8	41.3%	55.1%
土Earth	2/8	25.7%	17.2%
金Metal	2/8	25.7%	21.9%
水Water	0/8	4.6%	4.6%

Why five elements calculators give different numbers

Your element (the Day Master) is the same everywhere. The percentages are not, because each site makes four choices differently.

01Visible characters or hidden stems too
Some sites count only the eight visible characters. Others open each branch: 丑 is Earth on the surface but also holds Water and Metal. An element can be "missing" in one method and present in the other.
02Different hidden-stem weights
We weigh main, middle and residual qi 1, 0.5 and 0.3. Other tables use 0.6/0.3/0.1, 7/2/1 or the main qi alone. Same chart, different decimals.
03Season weighting
The month branch sets which element is in season (旺相休囚死), so many methods count it double. A Fire element born in summer weighs far more than its character count suggests.
04Different pillars in the first place
True solar time, the 23:00 day change and the exact Start of Spring and solar-term moments can move the hour, day, month or even year pillar. Without a birth hour, two characters drop out.

Five elements lookup: the element of every stem and branch

Pick or type any heavenly stem or earthly branch to see its element, yin or yang and hidden stems. Type a pair such as 甲子 to get its nayin.

Type a stem, branch or pillar

Heavenly stems

Earthly branches

Works with the characters as they appear in your chart. Two characters (stem + branch) give the pillar and its nayin.

申

Earthly branch

申 · Shēn

Yang Metal

Element: 金Metal
Zodiac animal: Monkey
Solar month: Start of Autumn · Aug 8 – Sep 7
Double hour: 15:00–17:00
Hidden stems: 庚main壬mid戊res

See it in the table

The 10 heavenly stems and their elements

Each element has a yang stem and a yin stem. The stem of your day pillar is your Day Master, and the row below is your element.

Heavenly stems: element, yin or yang, image and Day Master page
Stems	Element	Yin / yang	Image	As a Day Master
甲Jiǎ	木Wood	Yang Wood	The tall tree	Jia Wood
乙Yǐ	木Wood	Yin Wood	Flowers and vines	Yi Wood
丙Bǐng	火Fire	Yang Fire	The sun	Bing Fire
丁Dīng	火Fire	Yin Fire	Candlelight	Ding Fire
戊Wù	土Earth	Yang Earth	The mountain	Wu Earth
己Jǐ	土Earth	Yin Earth	Fertile soil	Ji Earth
庚Gēng	金Metal	Yang Metal	Raw ore and the blade	Geng Metal
辛Xīn	金Metal	Yin Metal	Jewelry	Xin Metal
壬Rén	水Water	Yang Water	The ocean	Ren Water
癸Guǐ	水Water	Yin Water	Rain and mist	Gui Water

Yang and yin versions of one element behave differently: 甲 Wood is the tall tree that stands its ground, 乙 Wood the vine that finds a way around. Each Day Master page reads one stem in depth.

The ten Day Masters The ten gods

The 12 earthly branches and their elements

Branches carry the zodiac animals, the solar months and the double hours. Their element is the main qi; the stems hidden inside are what the weighted methods count.

Earthly branches: zodiac animal, element, yin or yang, solar month, double hour and hidden stems
Branches	Zodiac animal	Element	Yin / yang	Solar month	Double hour	Hidden stems
子Zǐ	Rat	水Water	Yang	Major SnowDec 7 – Jan 5	23:00–01:00	癸main
丑Chǒu	Ox	土Earth	Yin	Minor ColdJan 6 – Feb 3	01:00–03:00	己main癸mid辛res
寅Yín	Tiger	木Wood	Yang	Start of SpringFeb 4 – Mar 5	03:00–05:00	甲main丙mid戊res
卯Mǎo	Rabbit	木Wood	Yin	Awakening of InsectsMar 6 – Apr 4	05:00–07:00	乙main
辰Chén	Dragon	土Earth	Yang	Clear and BrightApr 5 – May 5	07:00–09:00	戊main乙mid癸res
巳Sì	Snake	火Fire	Yin	Start of SummerMay 6 – Jun 5	09:00–11:00	丙main庚mid戊res
午Wǔ	Horse	火Fire	Yang	Grain in EarJun 6 – Jul 6	11:00–13:00	丁main己mid
未Wèi	Goat	土Earth	Yin	Minor HeatJul 7 – Aug 7	13:00–15:00	己main丁mid乙res
申Shēn	Monkey	金Metal	Yang	Start of AutumnAug 8 – Sep 7	15:00–17:00	庚main壬mid戊res
酉Yǒu	Rooster	金Metal	Yin	White DewSep 8 – Oct 7	17:00–19:00	辛main
戌Xū	Dog	土Earth	Yang	Cold DewOct 8 – Nov 6	19:00–21:00	戊main辛mid丁res
亥Hài	Pig	水Water	Yin	Start of WinterNov 7 – Dec 6	21:00–23:00	壬main甲mid

Months follow the solar terms, not the calendar: the 寅 (Tiger) month starts at the Start of Spring around 4 February, so a birth on 1 February still falls in the 丑 month of the previous year.

The four Earth branches 辰, 戌, 丑 and 未 sit between the seasons and store other elements: 辰 holds Water, 戌 Fire, 丑 Metal and 未 Wood. That is why an Earth branch can quietly supply an element that looks missing.

What are the five elements?

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water (五行, wu xing) are five phases of one moving qi rather than five substances. Every stem, branch, season, direction and color belongs to one of them.

Generating cycle木火土金水木

Controlling cycle木土水火金木

Each element feeds the next in the generating cycle and checks one other in the controlling cycle. Your chart reads well when the elements keep flowing, not when they sit at 20% each.

Generating & Controlling Cycles Five Element Compatibility Bazi compatibility for two charts

Missing an element? How to read it and whether to add it

Five elements calculators love the word "missing". What it means depends on the counting method, and whether you should do anything about it depends on your favorable elements, not on the count.

Missing vs weak

Missing means zero: no stem, no branch and, strictly, no hidden stem of that element. Weak means present but light. There is no shared threshold: some sites call anything under 10% missing, others only 0%. Our calculator tells you which case you have and where the trace hides.

Add what you need, not what you lack

Classical Bazi aims for flow, not equal shares. A strong chart already full of Wood may be missing Metal and need exactly that; a weak Fire chart missing Water is better off without it. Your favorable elements (喜用神) decide, and they come from your Day Master's strength.

Favorable Elements Calculator Day Master Strength Calculator

Missing Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water: traditional meanings

The traditional themes for each missing element, and the usual ways to bring it in when it is one of your favorable elements.

Missing Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water: traditional meanings
Missing	Traditional themes	If favorable, ways to add it
木Missing Wood	Growth, planning and flexibility. Traditionally read as less drive to start things, or plans that stay in the head.	Green, teal · EastPlants and wood at home, learning something long term, morning walks, a written plan.
火Missing Fire	Expression, warmth and visibility. Traditionally read as a reserved manner, or effort that goes unseen.	Red, purple · SouthBrighter light and sunshine, sport, speaking up and sharing your work.
土Missing Earth	Stability, trust and follow-through. Traditionally read as a restless base, or trouble keeping routines.	Yellow, brown · CenterCeramics and stone, fixed weekly routines, gardening, keeping promises small and steady.
金Missing Metal	Decisions, rules and boundaries. Traditionally read as difficulty saying no, or letting standards slide.	White, gold · WestMetal accessories, decluttering, clear rules and deadlines, saying no on purpose.
水Missing Water	Insight, adaptability and rest. Traditionally read as pushing without pausing, or thinking less before acting.	Black, navy · NorthTime near water, rest and reflection, reading and research, travel.

These are traditional correspondences for self-reflection, not diagnoses. Organ correspondences in the chart below describe classical symbolism and say nothing about your health; see a doctor for any symptom. Nothing here needs to be bought.

Day Master element vs nayin: is your element based on your birth year?

There are two answers to "what element am I?", and they often differ. That is why an online calculator and your grandmother can give you different elements.

日
Day Master element (日主五行)
The element of the stem of your birth day. Modern Bazi reads everything from it: personality, strength, favorable elements, ten gods. It changes every day, so it needs your full birth date.
年
Year nayin (納音, 年命)
An older system that gives each pair of the sixty-pillar cycle a poetic element, such as 海中金 "gold in the sea". Read from the year pillar, it is what people mean by "I was born with Metal fate". Everyone born in the same year shares it.
主
Which one should you use?
For a Bazi reading, use the Day Master. The year nayin is a folk shorthand used in almanacs, marriage matching and naming; it is worth knowing, but it does not replace your chart.

Look up your year nayin

Birth year

The Bazi year starts at the Start of Spring (立春) on 3, 4 or 5 February, not on 1 January or at Chinese New Year. Born within a day of it? The calculator above uses the exact moment.

Counted as the 1990 year

Year pillar

庚午

Horse

Nayin

路旁土

土Earth

A 庚午 year gives the nayin 路旁土: Earth fate in the folk sense. Your Bazi element is still the stem of your birth day, which the calculator above finds.

The sixty-pillar nayin table (30 pairs)

The sixty pillars run in pairs, and each pair shares one nayin. Years are shown for two cycles; tap a pair to look it up.

Five elements correspondence chart

The classical correspondences for each element: stems, branches, numbers, season, direction, color, organs, emotions and more.

Five elements correspondence chart
Element	木Wood	火Fire	土Earth	金Metal	水Water
Stems	甲乙	丙丁	戊己	庚辛	壬癸
Branches	寅卯	巳午	丑辰未戌	申酉	子亥
Numbers (河圖)	3, 8	2, 7	5, 10	4, 9	1, 6
Season	Spring	Summer	Late summer (season changes)	Autumn	Winter
Direction	East	South	Center	West	North
Color	Green, teal	Red, purple	Yellow, brown	White, gold	Black, navy
Climate	Wind	Heat	Damp	Dryness	Cold
Yin organ	Liver	Heart	Spleen	Lungs	Kidneys
Yang organ	Gallbladder	Small intestine	Stomach	Large intestine	Bladder
Sense organ	Eyes	Tongue	Mouth	Nose	Ears
Body tissue	Tendons	Blood vessels	Muscles	Skin	Bones
Emotion	Anger	Joy	Worry	Grief	Fear
Taste	Sour	Bitter	Sweet	Pungent	Salty
Virtue	Benevolence (仁)	Propriety (禮)	Trust (信)	Righteousness (義)	Wisdom (智)
Musical note	Jue (角)	Zhi (徵)	Gong (宮)	Shang (商)	Yu (羽)
Planet	Jupiter	Mars	Saturn	Venus	Mercury
Celestial animal	Azure Dragon	Vermilion Bird	Yellow Dragon	White Tiger	Black Tortoise
Shape	Tall, upright	Pointed, triangular	Square, flat	Round, arched	Wavy, irregular

From the classical sources listed below. Organ, emotion and taste rows are traditional symbolism used in Chinese thought, not medical guidance.

Five elements: common questions

Quick answers about finding your element, missing elements and the nayin. For the whole chart, open the Bazi calculator.

Free Bazi calculator Bazi structures Luck pillar start age Learn Bazi

Classical sources

The tables and methods on this page follow these texts.

01《尚書・洪範》The Book of Documents, "Great Plan": the earliest list of the five elements and their natures (water soaks downward, fire flames upward).
02《五行大義》Xiao Ji, Sui dynasty: the classic compendium of five-element correspondences, numbers and cycles.
03《黃帝內經》The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic: the organ, emotion and taste correspondences.
04《淵海子平》Song dynasty: reads the chart from the Day Master and lists the hidden stems of each branch.
05《三命通會》Wan Minying, Ming dynasty: the standard explanation of the sixty-pillar nayin.
06《子平真詮》Shen Xiaozhan, Qing dynasty: why the month branch governs the chart and how favorable elements are chosen.

See your whole chart

Your element is the start. The Bazi calculator adds ten gods, luck pillars, symbolic stars and a reading of each pillar, free.

Open the Bazi calculator