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THE SHORT ANSWER
Record the date, local clock time, birthplace time zone and information source separately. Wenbu accepts Gregorian dates for BaZi and Zi Wei, but the tools use different time conventions. Preserve uncertainty instead of filling a default time, and avoid applying solar-time correction twice.
- Confirm the calendar and any leap month. The current tools accept dates from 1901 through 2099.
- Use the birthplace’s time rules on the birth date, not your current location.
- BaZi can omit an unknown hour. Zi Wei needs a known time; an uncertain chart remains a candidate.
Year, calendar type and any lunar leap month.
An exact recorded time or an approximate range?
The birthplace’s rules on the date, including historical daylight saving.
Certificate, hospital record, family note or recollection.
The cards select the first four checks: calendar type, recorded time and its precision, historical time-zone rules, and the information source. The complete table below adds day-boundary, longitude and Zi Wei settings, with guidance for uncertain inputs.
Check which calendar the date uses
Wenbu’s BaZi and Zi Wei tools accept Gregorian dates. A birthday remembered as the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is not necessarily May 5. Confirm the year, calendar and whether a leap lunar month is involved before converting it with a reliable calendar reference.
A zodiac animal or an approximate age is not enough to produce a personal chart. You can use the example details to learn the interface, but keep that demonstration separate from your own birth record.
Bring the details your chosen tool needs
BaZi and Zi Wei have different input requirements. Choose the tool first, then prepare the relevant details.
- BaZi: Gregorian date and the time zone at the birthplace. Add the birth time if known; otherwise use the unknown-time option.
- Optional BaZi settings: the day boundary, and approximate solar-time correction. Solar correction requires a longitude and a known time.
- Zi Wei: Gregorian date, known local birth time and the male/female parameter required by the current traditional algorithm. This setting does not define your gender identity.
- I Ching and tarot: no birth date, name or sex parameter is needed. Begin with the question you have now.
A birth-information checklist
| Item | What to check | If uncertain |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Year, calendar type and any lunar leap month. | Check the original record and convert to Gregorian before entering. |
| Time | An exact recorded time or an approximate range? | Select unknown time for BaZi rather than inventing minutes. |
| Time zone | The birthplace’s rules on the date, including historical daylight saving. | Confirm the city; ambiguous clock times need a verified offset. |
| Source | Certificate, hospital record, family note or recollection. | Keep the source and uncertainty in your notes. |
| Day boundary | Midnight or the start of Zi hour for BaZi. | Retain the default initially and record it for comparisons. |
| Longitude | Needed only for optional BaZi solar-time correction with a known time. | Leave correction off if the location is uncertain. |
| Zi Wei parameters | Known local time and the algorithm’s traditional sex parameter. | Study a sample first; the parameter does not define gender identity. |
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways.
Use the clock time recorded at the birthplace
Suppose your birth record says 08:30 in Shanghai and you now live in London. For BaZi, enter that recorded local time with Asia/Shanghai, rather than your device’s current time zone. Historical daylight-saving rules depend on the birth date.
The Zi Wei tool uses the local date and clock time you enter. It does not inherit the BaZi time-zone or solar-time settings. Check each result’s calculation notes before comparing charts across tools.
Record uncertainty instead of filling the gap
“My family remembers early morning” and “the birth certificate says 06:20” provide different levels of detail. Look for a certificate, hospital record or original note. BaZi can omit an unknown hour, with a warning that solar-term boundary dates may still leave a year or month pillar uncertain. Zi Wei currently needs a known time.
Near 23:00, midnight, an hour boundary or a solar term, keep the possible inputs and the differences between them. Do not select a chart solely because its interpretation feels familiar. Start by confirming the date and time zone; you do not need every advanced setting for a first visit.
Worked example: two possible times around seven in the morning
Fictional practice data: October 20, 2010, Shanghai. A family note says 06:50; a recollection suggests 07:10. Neither has yet been confirmed.
Record both sources. Do not treat the midpoint, 07:00, as an observed time or choose whichever interpretation feels better.
For BaZi, select Asia/Shanghai and begin with unknown time. Read the warnings: an omitted hour does not remove all uncertainty near a solar-term boundary.
To study differences, calculate 06:50 and 07:10 separately with identical remaining settings. Label them candidate A and candidate B, then compare the fields actually returned.
Do not present either as a confirmed personal Zi Wei chart. Look for the original birth record. Agreement between interpretations cannot establish a missing clock time.
When better evidence arrives, note its source and calculate again. Preserve the earlier candidates and the conventions with your correction.
Preparation should produce traceable inputs with honest uncertainty, rather than a complete form filled with unsupported precision.
Key terms
- Civil time
- The local clock date and time, including any applicable daylight saving.
- Time-zone identifier
- A name such as Asia/Shanghai representing time rules that can change historically.
- Candidate input
- One possible, explicitly unconfirmed set of birth details.
Common questions
Can I enter a lunar birthday directly?
No. Confirm the lunar year, month, day and leap-month status, then convert. The Hong Kong Observatory offers calendar tables for its stated coverage.
Should I use my phone’s current time zone?
No. BaZi needs the birthplace’s historical rules. Zi Wei currently uses the entered local clock without importing BaZi’s time-zone or solar-time settings.
Does solar-time correction guarantee a more accurate reading?
No. For a fixed birth instant it adjusts the BaZi day/hour clock; year/month retain absolute solar-term boundaries. This convention does not validate an interpretation.
Sources and their scope
Supports date limits, unknown-time handling, time-zone validation and correction scope; not predictive accuracy.
Supports local clock input, the traditional sex parameter and the absence of BaZi corrections.
Provides calendar conversion tables for 1901–2100, not validation of readings. Wenbu has its own narrower input range.
Explains historical local-time, UTC-offset and daylight-saving rules. A current offset is not assumed to apply to every birth date.
Traditional interpretations are not established predictions. See the source notes for context.
Read this guide with your agent
Get the complete text, diagram descriptions and sources in an open format. These files contain public knowledge only.
ADDITIONAL PRACTICE · 2026-11-14
How to keep the birth date with a Zi Wei time near midnight
Does a one-minute difference change a Zi Wei chart?
On Wenbu, with the Gregorian date and chart settings fixed, two local clock times within one traditional hour category produce the same palace data. If the recorded range crosses a boundary, run a candidate on each side. In the exercise below, 08:59 is still in Chen and 09:00 is in Si. Keep the actual recorded range alongside the candidate charts.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
- Keep the evidence for the range separate from the times you enter for a test.
- Compare one candidate per applicable date and hour category with the other inputs fixed.
- Check the displayed hour category, Life Palace branch and its major stars.
Turn a time range into a comparison plan
- 01Write the range
Keep the local date, the clock-time range and where it came from.
- 02Find the boundary
Select a representative time for each hour category in the range.
- 03Compare fields
Read the hour category, the Life Palace branch and its major stars.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Mark the boundary on the birth record first
Suppose the note says “a little after eight.” First ask what the note can actually establish. A written range of 08:00 through 08:59 stays within one category. A recollection of 08:50 to 09:10 crosses 09:00. If the person who supplied the time cannot give a reliable upper limit, leave that limit open in your notes instead of quietly substituting a precise minute.
Fix the Gregorian date, the sex parameter used by the chart, and the displayed conventions before comparing. This exercise uses Chen from 07:00 through 08:59 and Si from 09:00 through 10:59. One test time in each applicable category is enough to compare this calculation. When the uncertainty reaches midnight, separate the possible local dates first and record the time for each candidate. A note that says only “morning” may span several categories. Look for a narrower source before deciding whether those extra candidate charts would answer the question.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Compare three fields on the candidate charts
Read the displayed hour category. Then locate the palace named Life Palace on each result and compare its branch and major stars. The same place on the screen may hold a different palace. In the practice case, both 08:00 and 08:59 place the Life Palace at Wei with Tian Liang. At 09:00 it is at Wu with Lian Zhen and Tian Xiang.
Write the difference in the language of the result. A useful note might say “The candidate Life Palaces differ. I still need to check the original time.” If your question concerns the major stars in that palace, you now know which part of the reading depends on the time. For a question about another palace, compare that same named palace in both results.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
| Entered time | Hour category | Life Palace branch | Major stars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | Chen | Wei | Tian Liang |
| 08:59 | Chen | Wei | Tian Liang |
| 09:00 | Si | Wu | Lian Zhen and Tian Xiang |
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Try 08:00 and 08:59, then cross 09:00
Use the fictional Gregorian date November 8, 2021 and the calculator's female parameter. Keep the Wenbu Zi Wei conventions fixed for all three runs.
- Enter 08:00. Record Chen, Life Palace at Wei and Tian Liang.
- Change the input to 08:59. All three fields stay the same. The twelve palace records also match in this example.
- Enter 09:00 and read Si, Life Palace at Wu, and Lian Zhen and Tian Xiang.
- For a record spanning 08:50 to 09:10, keep the range and label 08:59 and 09:00 as candidate inputs on either side of the boundary.
You now have a candidate for Chen and one for Si. Keep both while you look for the original time evidence.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Questions you may have
Does a one-minute difference always require a new chart?
Check whether it crosses an hour-category or local date boundary. Within one date and category, changing the minute alone leaves the chart data compared here the same when all other inputs are fixed.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Can I save 08:59 as my birth time if two runs agree?
Save it as the input for a test and keep the original range and source. The agreement tells you about this calculation. It adds no precision to the underlying birth record.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Can I use a solar-corrected time for this comparison?
For this exercise, enter the recorded local clock. If you compare another tool that uses a different clock or school convention, write the convention next to each input before interpreting the differences.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Terms in this guide
- Representative time
- A labeled test input from one candidate hour category under fixed chart settings.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
- Life Palace branch
- The earthly branch assigned to the named Life Palace in the calculated chart.
Current complete en canonical article ↗Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
See the claim and source notes
Wenbu's Zi Wei calculator uses the entered Gregorian date and local birth clock time.
输入出生地的公历日期与已知钟表时间
The public capability description specifies local civil time as the clock input.
Entered local civil clock
A run needs a specified clock time. A recorded range can remain in the notes while you run separate practice inputs.
A known birth time is needed for this tool.
Sources and review scope
Wenbu drafted and checked this article in Codex. The source list records the scope of the review.
- Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current public original and earlier additions; add substantial coverage without repeating or replacing them. · 2026-11-13 · Fetched text
- Current complete en canonical article ↗Current public original and earlier additions; add substantial coverage without repeating or replacing them. · 2026-11-13 · Fetched text
- Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗First-party implementation; not evidence of predictive accuracy · 2026-11-13 · Fetched text
- iztro · official documentation ↗Calculation library documentation · 2026-11-13 · Read excerpt
- Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Existing editorial; traditional interpretation · 2026-11-13 · Read excerpt
- Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗First-party current tool, convention and privacy contract; not external endorsement or predictive validation · 2026-11-13 · Fetched text
Compare 08:59 and 09:00 in the Zi Wei tool
Start with the fictional inputs above. Change the time alone and find the major stars in the named Life Palace on each chart.
Compare 08:59 and 09:00 in the Zi Wei tool ↗Write the Gregorian date and the local clock time together when you copy a birth record near midnight. In this exercise, April 6 at 23:59 is late Zi and April 7 at 00:00 is early Zi. Both place the Life Palace in Mao with Tian Xiang. The lunar dates are the 28th and 29th of the second lunar month. Keep each date with its own input even when the palace entries agree.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗iztro · official documentation ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
- Copy the full local date and time before you write the tool’s time category.
- Track the lunar date, Life Palace branch and major star in separate fields.
- If a record only says Zi hour, retain that wording and look for the recorded civil date.
Start from the record, then read the Life Palace
- 01Copy date and clock together
Write an exact record such as April 6 at 23:59.
- 02Read the label and lunar date
Record late Zi and the 28th of the second lunar month, keeping the input beside them.
- 03Compare the Life Palace
Note its branch, major star and Body Palace marker, then compare the same fields in the second chart.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗iztro · official documentation ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Mark which date the 00:00 belongs to
One minute after April 6 at 23:59 is April 7 at 00:00. April 6 at 00:00 takes you back to the start of April 6. Keep the same traditional chart parameter so you can isolate the date and time comparison.
The result header shows the lunar date and time category. The 23:59 sample says late Zi and the 28th of the second lunar month. The next 00:00 says early Zi and the 29th. Copy the Gregorian date from the input record.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗iztro · official documentation ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Check what an incorrectly copied date would change
In these two live examples across midnight, the returned palaces arrays agree. Select the Life Palace to see Mao and Tian Xiang, with the Body Palace in the same place. Use the dates and time labels to identify which input gave each result.
Calculate April 6 at 00:00 as a separate example. Open the Life Palace and check the major star. It is Tian Tong, while the lunar date is still the 28th. That row shows what can change if you copy midnight onto the preceding date.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗iztro · official documentation ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
| Local Gregorian time | Time label | Lunar date | Life Palace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-06 23:59 | Late Zi | Second month, day 28 | Mao · Tian Xiang · also Body Palace |
| 2024-04-07 00:00 | Early Zi | Second month, day 29 | Mao · Tian Xiang · also Body Palace |
| 2024-04-06 00:00 | Early Zi | Second month, day 28 | Mao · Tian Tong · also Body Palace |
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗iztro · official documentation ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Recalculate the midnight pair and the date-copy error
Use these hypothetical dates without anyone’s private details. Keep the same traditional calculation parameter, female, and enter the local civil time in all three examples.
- Enter 2024-04-06 at 23:59. Record late Zi, lunar day 28 and the Life Palace in Mao with Tian Xiang.
- Advance the date to 2024-04-07 and enter 00:00. Record early Zi, lunar day 29 and the matching branch and major star.
- Keep the input dates and the time labels with the results. They distinguish the two records whose palace fields match.
- In a separate sample, try 2024-04-06 at 00:00. Check for Tian Tong and keep this result as the comparison for a miscopied date.
Keep the Gregorian input with the lunar date and palace result. The Life Palace alone cannot identify which of the two midnight records you started with.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗iztro · official documentation ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Questions you may have
I only have a date and a note saying Zi hour. Can I enter 00:00?
Check where the date came from and whether the time was a clock reading or a category. Preserve the uncertain date or interval. Use fictional records to practise both entries while you check the source.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗iztro · official documentation ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
What should I check next if the Life Palace branch matches?
Compare the input date and time, then check the lunar date, time label, Body Palace marker and major stars. Record the matching fields individually before drawing any conclusion.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗iztro · official documentation ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
Terms in this guide
- Late Zi
- The time category shown by Wenbu Zi Wei for 23:59 on the local date in this exercise.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗iztro · official documentation ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
- Early Zi
- The time category shown for 00:00 in this exercise. Record the category and the Gregorian date separately.
Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗iztro · official documentation ↗Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗
See the claim and source notes
Wenbu’s Zi Wei tool uses the recorded Gregorian date and local clock time.
输入出生地的公历日期与已知钟表时间
Wenbu distinguishes the early and late Zi categories.
distinguishes early from late Zi
iztro documents a chart calculation using the Gregorian date.
通过阳历获取星盘信息
Sources and review scope
Wenbu drafted and checked this article in Codex. The source list records the scope of the review.
- Current complete zh canonical article ↗Current public original and earlier additions; add substantial coverage without repeating or replacing them. · 2026-11-14 · Fetched text
- Current complete en canonical article ↗Current public original and earlier additions; add substantial coverage without repeating or replacing them. · 2026-11-14 · Fetched text
- Wenbu · calculation conventions ↗First-party implementation; not evidence of predictive accuracy · 2026-11-14 · Fetched text
- iztro · official documentation ↗Calculation library documentation · 2026-11-14 · Read excerpt
- Wenbu · versioned public capabilities ↗First-party current tool, convention and privacy contract; not external endorsement or predictive validation · 2026-11-14 · Fetched text
- Wenbu · twelve palaces ↗Existing editorial; traditional interpretation · 2026-11-14 · Read excerpt
Check the midnight examples in the Zi Wei tool
Enter the three fictional records and compare the dates, time labels and Life Palace stars.
Check the midnight examples in the Zi Wei tool ↗