What is Mệnh? Your element by birth year
What is Mệnh?
In Vietnam people casually say "I'm mệnh Kim (Metal)". That is Mệnh, the Nạp Âm element of your birth year. The 60-year cycle is paired into 30 names, each comparing character to an image from nature, such as "Metal in the Sea" or "Fire in the Furnace".
It follows Lunar New Year
Mệnh changes at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January, so people born in January or early February may carry the previous year's Mệnh. We calculate it automatically from the lunar calendar of your country of birth. (The Four Pillars year changes at the start of spring, so it can occasionally differ.)
Character and colours by element
| Element | Character | Colours | Supporting element |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Wood: warm, kind and always growing. | green | Water |
| Fire | Fire: passionate, direct and full of energy. | red, purple | Wood |
| Earth | Earth: reliable, patient and sincere. | yellow, brown | Fire |
| Metal | Metal: firm and decisive, with clear principles. | white, silver | Earth |
| Water | Water: flexible, adaptable and a good communicator. | black, blue | Metal |
The 30 Nạp Âm elements
| Birth years (stem-branch) | Nạp Âm | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Jia Zi · Yi Chou | Metal in the Sea | Metal |
| Bing Yin · Ding Mao | Fire in the Furnace | Fire |
| Wu Chen · Ji Si | Wood of the Great Forest | Wood |
| Geng Wu · Xin Wei | Roadside Earth | Earth |
| Ren Shen · Gui You | Sword-edge Metal | Metal |
| Jia Xu · Yi Hai | Fire on the Mountain Top | Fire |
| Bing Zi · Ding Chou | Stream Water | Water |
| Wu Yin · Ji Mao | City Wall Earth | Earth |
| Geng Chen · Xin Si | White Wax Metal | Metal |
| Ren Wu · Gui Wei | Willow Wood | Wood |
| Jia Shen · Yi You | Spring Water | Water |
| Bing Xu · Ding Hai | Rooftop Earth | Earth |
| Wu Zi · Ji Chou | Thunderbolt Fire | Fire |
| Geng Yin · Xin Mao | Pine and Cypress Wood | Wood |
| Ren Chen · Gui Si | Long River Water | Water |
| Jia Wu · Yi Wei | Metal in the Sand | Metal |
| Bing Shen · Ding You | Fire at the Foot of the Mountain | Fire |
| Wu Xu · Ji Hai | Flatland Wood | Wood |
| Geng Zi · Xin Chou | Earth on the Wall | Earth |
| Ren Yin · Gui Mao | Gold Leaf Metal | Metal |
| Jia Chen · Yi Si | Lamp Fire | Fire |
| Bing Wu · Ding Wei | Milky Way Water | Water |
| Wu Shen · Ji You | Great Post-station Earth | Earth |
| Geng Xu · Xin Hai | Hairpin Metal | Metal |
| Ren Zi · Gui Chou | Mulberry Wood | Wood |
| Jia Yin · Yi Mao | Great Stream Water | Water |
| Bing Chen · Ding Si | Earth in the Sand | Earth |
| Wu Wu · Ji Wei | Heavenly Fire | Fire |
| Geng Shen · Xin You | Pomegranate Wood | Wood |
| Ren Xu · Gui Hai | Great Sea Water | Water |
What is it used for?
In Vietnam, Mệnh is often consulted for marriage matches, the colour of clothes or a car, the direction of a house or a business partner. On this site we use Mệnh for the daily fortune (how the day's element relates to yours) and for zodiac matches.