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Meaning and Context
Traditional Chinese time-keeping divides the day into 12 periods of approximately two hours each. Each period is associated with an Earthly Branch and has its own characteristics.
- Shi (时): Time, hour
- Chen (辰): Period, division
- 12 periods = 24 hours (2 hours each)
- Each named after an Earthly Branch (Zi, Chou, Yin, etc.)
Classical Roots
From Xieji Bianfang Shu
「时辰者，一日分十二，各配地支。」
Plain translation
"Shi Chen divides the day into twelve parts, each matched with an earthly branch."
The 12 Hours
Each two-hour period and its modern equivalent:
- Zi (子时): 23:00 - 01:00
- Chou (丑时): 01:00 - 03:00
- Yin (寅时): 03:00 - 05:00
- Mao (卯时): 05:00 - 07:00
- Chen (辰时): 07:00 - 09:00
- Si (巳时): 09:00 - 11:00
- Wu (午时): 11:00 - 13:00
- Wei (未时): 13:00 - 15:00
- Shen (申时): 15:00 - 17:00
- You (酉时): 17:00 - 19:00
- Xu (戌时): 19:00 - 21:00
- Hai (亥时): 21:00 - 23:00
How It Shows Up in FateFolio
In FateFolio's Bazi tool, birth time is converted to Chinese hours for the hour pillar. The date selection tool may recommend favorable hours within a chosen day.
Common Misconceptions
- Thinking Zi hour starts at midnight — it starts at 23:00 (11 PM)
- Ignoring the day boundary — the Chinese day changes at Zi hour (23:00), affecting date calculations
- Assuming exact hour matters — being in the correct two-hour period is what counts
FAQ
Does the Chinese day start at midnight?
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No, the Chinese calendar day starts at Zi hour (子时), which begins at 23:00 (11 PM). This is important for date selection and Bazi calculations — someone born at 11:30 PM on January 1st would have the date of January 2nd in Chinese calendar terms.