Your Kua number (also written Gua number) is the one number in classical feng shui that is about you rather than your house. It is derived from your birth year and sex, and it tells you which four compass directions support you and which four work against you.
Use the calculator below to get your number, your group (East or West) and your four auspicious directions in one step. No email required.
Calculate your Kua number
How the Kua number is calculated
The traditional method reduces the last two digits of your birth year to a single digit, then applies a formula that differs by sex and by century:
- Men born 1900–1999: subtract that single digit from 10.
- Women born 1900–1999: add 5 to that single digit.
- Men born 2000 onwards: subtract that single digit from 9.
- Women born 2000 onwards: add 6 to that single digit.
- If the result is above 9, subtract 9 until it falls between 1 and 9. If the result is 5, men take 2 and women take 8.
One caveat that trips people up: the Chinese solar year begins at Li Chun, around 4 February, not 1 January. If you were born in January or the first days of February, calculate with the previous year.
East group versus West group
Kua numbers split people into two groups. East group: 1, 3, 4 and 9, whose four good directions are north, south, east and south-east. West group: 2, 6, 7 and 8, whose four good directions are north-east, north-west, west and south-west. The two sets are exact opposites, which is why the same bedroom can suit one partner and not the other.
What to do with your Kua number
- Sleep with the top of your head pointing to one of your four good directions — see what your Kua number tells you.
- Face a good direction when you work, study or cook at the hob.
- Check the full Kua number chart by birth year if you prefer a table to a calculator.
- Compare your number with your partner’s before rearranging a shared bedroom: Kua numbers and love compatibility.
- Go deeper on the house itself with Eight Mansions feng shui.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Kua number based on the lunar new year?
No. Kua numbers follow the solar year, which begins at Li Chun around 4 February. A birth in January, or in the first days of February, belongs to the previous year’s number.
What if my Kua number is 5?
Five sits at the centre and has no compass direction of its own, so it is converted: men use 2 (west group) and women use 8 (west group).
Can two people with different Kua numbers share a bedroom?
Yes, and this is the most common situation. Prioritise the sleeping direction of the person who is more sensitive to sleep, and adjust the other person’s desk or seating direction instead. Shared rooms are always a compromise, not a perfect match.
Is the Kua number the same as my Chinese zodiac sign?
No. The zodiac animal changes every year for everyone born in that year; the Kua number also changes by sex. They are two different systems that are often confused because both start from the birth year.
Kua number quick reference
Every result from the calculator reduces to one of nine Kua numbers. The two tables below give the answer without JavaScript: the first lists each number with its group, element and directions, and the second is a birth-year chart for people born between 1986 and 2026.
The nine Kua numbers at a glance
| Kua | Trigram | Element | Group | Supportive directions | Least favourable directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kan | Water | East | South-East — Sheng Qi (success and wealth); East — Tian Yi (health); South — Yan Nian (relationships); North — Fu Wei (stability) | North-East, South-West, West, North-West |
| 2 | Kun | Earth | West | North-East — Sheng Qi (success and wealth); West — Tian Yi (health); North-West — Yan Nian (relationships); South-West — Fu Wei (stability) | North, East, South-East, South |
| 3 | Zhen | Wood | East | South — Sheng Qi (success and wealth); North — Tian Yi (health); South-East — Yan Nian (relationships); East — Fu Wei (stability) | North-East, South-West, West, North-West |
| 4 | Xun | Wood | East | North — Sheng Qi (success and wealth); South — Tian Yi (health); East — Yan Nian (relationships); South-East — Fu Wei (stability) | North-East, South-West, West, North-West |
| 6 | Qian | Metal | West | West — Sheng Qi (success and wealth); North-East — Tian Yi (health); South-West — Yan Nian (relationships); North-West — Fu Wei (stability) | North, East, South-East, South |
| 7 | Dui | Metal | West | North-West — Sheng Qi (success and wealth); South-West — Tian Yi (health); North-East — Yan Nian (relationships); West — Fu Wei (stability) | North, East, South-East, South |
| 8 | Gen | Earth | West | South-West — Sheng Qi (success and wealth); North-West — Tian Yi (health); West — Yan Nian (relationships); North-East — Fu Wei (stability) | North, East, South-East, South |
| 9 | Li | Fire | East | East — Sheng Qi (success and wealth); South-East — Tian Yi (health); North — Yan Nian (relationships); South — Fu Wei (stability) | North-East, South-West, West, North-West |
Birth-year chart, 1986 to 2026
| Birth year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 2 Kun | 1 Kan |
| 1987 | 4 Xun | 2 Kun |
| 1988 | 3 Zhen | 3 Zhen |
| 1989 | 2 Kun | 4 Xun |
| 1990 | 1 Kan | 8 Gen |
| 1991 | 9 Li | 6 Qian |
| 1992 | 8 Gen | 7 Dui |
| 1993 | 7 Dui | 8 Gen |
| 1994 | 6 Qian | 9 Li |
| 1995 | 2 Kun | 1 Kan |
| 1996 | 4 Xun | 2 Kun |
| 1997 | 3 Zhen | 3 Zhen |
| 1998 | 2 Kun | 4 Xun |
| 1999 | 1 Kan | 8 Gen |
| 2000 | 9 Li | 6 Qian |
| 2001 | 8 Gen | 7 Dui |
| 2002 | 7 Dui | 8 Gen |
| 2003 | 6 Qian | 9 Li |
| 2004 | 2 Kun | 1 Kan |
| 2005 | 4 Xun | 2 Kun |
| 2006 | 3 Zhen | 3 Zhen |
| 2007 | 2 Kun | 4 Xun |
| 2008 | 1 Kan | 8 Gen |
| 2009 | 9 Li | 6 Qian |
| 2010 | 8 Gen | 7 Dui |
| 2011 | 7 Dui | 8 Gen |
| 2012 | 6 Qian | 9 Li |
| 2013 | 2 Kun | 1 Kan |
| 2014 | 4 Xun | 2 Kun |
| 2015 | 3 Zhen | 3 Zhen |
| 2016 | 2 Kun | 4 Xun |
| 2017 | 1 Kan | 8 Gen |
| 2018 | 9 Li | 6 Qian |
| 2019 | 8 Gen | 7 Dui |
| 2020 | 7 Dui | 8 Gen |
| 2021 | 6 Qian | 9 Li |
| 2022 | 2 Kun | 1 Kan |
| 2023 | 4 Xun | 2 Kun |
| 2024 | 3 Zhen | 3 Zhen |
| 2025 | 2 Kun | 4 Xun |
| 2026 | 1 Kan | 8 Gen |
The full version, covering 1930 to 2035, is in our complete Kua number chart by birth year. If you want the reasoning behind the number, start with what your Kua number means.