What is the Kanji for "Moon" and "Month"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Moon" and "Month", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Moon" and "Month" is "月".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Tsuki".

Its onyomi readings are "Getsu" and "Gatsu".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 3 parts:

The kanji "三" means "Three" and can be read as "San" and "Mi". The radical "丿" means "Katakana no" . And The radical "亅" means "Barb" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "月" mean in japanese?

"月" means "Moon" and "Month".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in First Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N5 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

月曜日: "Monday". The Japanese noun '月曜日 (げつようび)' means 'Monday'. This refers to the first day of the week in the Gregorian calendar. Months in Japanese are named by combining the word for month (月) with the day of the week, so 'Monday' literally translates to 'moon day'. For example: Today is Monday - (今日は月曜日です)

月: "Moon". The Japanese noun '月 (つき)' means 'moon'. This noun refers to the astronomical body that orbits the Earth and is visible in the night sky. It is an important celestial object in Japanese culture and features prominently in many cultural traditions and artistic expressions. For example: The moon is beautiful tonight - (今夜の月はきれいです). The full moon rises - (満月が昇ります).

今月: "This month". The Japanese noun '今月 (こんげつ)' means 'this month'. It refers to the current month that is ongoing. '今月' is often used in contexts where you want to specify the current time period, such as in sentences like: I was born this month - (私は今月生まれました). I will travel in this month - (私は今月旅行に行きます).

先月: "Last month". The Japanese noun '先月 (せんげつ)' refers to the month immediately preceding the current month. It is used to indicate a specific time period in the past, usually the month before the current one. For example: I went on vacation last month - (先月、私は休暇に行きました). The weather was nice last month - (先月の天気は良かったです).

箇月: "Month(s)". The suffix '箇月 (かげつ)' means 'month(s)'. It is used to indicate a specific period of time measured in months, often used in numerical expressions. For example: 3ヶ月後に会いましょう - (let's meet in 3 months). 6箇月間働きました - (I worked for 6 months).

来月: "Next month". The noun '来月(らいげつ)' means 'next month'. It refers to the month immediately following the current or present month. This word is commonly used when talking about future plans or events that will occur in the month after the current one. For example: I'm going on vacation next month - (来月、休暇に行きます). Next month's rent is due - (来月の家賃が支払期限です).

半月: "Half moon". The Japanese noun '半月 (はんつき)' refers to a 'half moon' - the appearance of the moon when it is at a waxing or waning phase, and only half of the moon is visible in the sky. This is in contrast to a 'full moon' when the entire moon is illuminated. The '半月' can be used to describe the visual appearance of the moon, as well as other objects or concepts that are semicircular or crescent-shaped in nature. For example: The night sky was lit by a beautiful half moon - (空には美しい半月が輝いていた).

再来月: "Next month". The noun '再来月 (さらいげつ)' refers to the month that comes after the next month. In other words, it is the month that follows the month that comes immediately after the current month. For example: I'm visiting my family next month, but I'll see them again the month after that - (来月は家族に会いますが、その次の月にもう一度会います).

月日: "Day" or "Time". The Japanese word '月日 (がっぴ)' has two primary meanings. The first meaning is 'day', referring to a single day or date. The second meaning is 'time', referring to the passage of time. This word is often used in expressions related to dates, time periods, or the progression of time. For example: Many days have passed - (月日が経った). The time has come - (月日が来た).

月末: "Month-end". The Japanese noun '月末 (げつまつ)' refers to the end of a calendar month. It is commonly used when discussing financial matters, deadlines, or other events that occur at the conclusion of a monthly period. For example: The report is due at month-end - (レポートは月末までに提出する必要があります).

生年月日: "Birthdate". The Japanese noun '生年月日 (せいねんがっぴ)' means 'birthdate'. This noun refers to the specific date on which a person was born. It is commonly used on official documents and forms to identify an individual. For example: My birthdate is October 15th - (私の生年月日は10月15日です)。What is your birthdate? - (あなたの生年月日は何ですか?)

正月: "New Year". The Japanese noun '正月 (しょうがつ)' refers to the New Year holiday period in Japan. It encompasses the first few days of January, including January 1st, which is the most important day. During this time, people celebrate the arrival of the new year with traditional customs, decorations, special foods, and gatherings with family. For example: We celebrate New Year's in January - (正月に新年を祝います).

月給: "Monthly salary". The Japanese noun '月給 (げっきゅう)' refers to the monthly salary or wages one receives from their employer. It is commonly used in the workplace or in discussions about personal finance. For example: My monthly salary is 300,000 yen - (私の月給は30万円です). He receives a good monthly salary - (彼は良い月給をもらっている).

月刊: "Monthly". The noun '月刊 (げっかん)' means 'monthly'. It is used to describe something that occurs or is published once a month. For example: This is a monthly magazine - (これは月刊誌です). The magazine comes out monthly - (その雑誌は月刊で発行されている).

月謝: "Tuition fee". The Japanese noun '月謝 (げっしゃ)' refers to a tuition fee, which is the amount of money paid for educational instruction, usually on a monthly basis. This fee is commonly associated with the costs of attending various types of schools or lessons, such as language classes, music lessons, or martial arts training. For example: The monthly tuition fee for my Japanese lessons is very reasonable - (私の日本語のレッスンの月謝はとても手頃です).

毎月: "Monthly". The Japanese noun '毎月 (まいつき)' means 'monthly'. It refers to something that happens or is done once every month. This word is often used when discussing events, payments, or activities that occur regularly on a monthly basis. For example: I get paid monthly - (私は毎月給料をもらう). The rent is due monthly - (家賃は毎月支払う).

三日月: "Crescent moon". The Japanese noun '三日月 (みかづき)' means 'crescent moon'. This word refers to the shape of the moon when it appears as a thin curved sliver in the sky, usually a few days after the new moon. The '三日月' indicates the moon is roughly 3 days old since the new moon. For example: The crescent moon shone in the night sky - (三日月が夜空に輝いていた).

年月: "Time" or "Month". The Japanese word '年月 (としつき)' is a noun that refers to a period of time, typically spanning multiple years or months. It can be used to describe lengths of time, such as 'in the last few years' or 'over a number of months'. Example sentences: Many years have passed - (多くの年月が経った). After several months, she returned - (数ヶ月の年月の後、彼女は戻ってきた).

年月日: "Date". The Japanese noun '年月日 (ねんがっぴ)' refers to the date, specifically a full date including the year, month, and day. It is commonly used when stating a particular date, such as 2023年3月1日 (2023nen 3gatsu 1nichi) - March 1, 2023. This word is essential for expressing and recording dates in Japanese.

月初め: "Beginning". The noun '月初め (つきはじめ)' refers to the beginning of a month. This term is used to describe the first few days of a month. For example: At the beginning of the month, I get paid - (月初めに給料をもらう). The start of the month is a busy time - (月初めは忙しい時期だ).

月夜: "Moonlit night". The Japanese noun '月夜 (つきよ)' refers to a 'moonlit night' - a night in which the moon is shining brightly, illuminating the surroundings. This word is often used in poetry and literature to set a serene and romantic atmosphere. For example: The beauty of the moonlit night was breathtaking - (月夜の美しさに息をのんだ). I love walking in the moonlit night - (月夜に散歩するのが大好きです).

月見: "Moon viewing". The Japanese noun '月見 (つきみ)' means 'moon viewing'. This term refers to the cultural practice of enjoying the moon, especially during autumn when the moon is full and bright. It often involves gathering with friends or family to appreciate the beauty of the moon, sometimes while drinking tea or sake and enjoying seasonal foods. For example: Let's go moon viewing tonight - (今夜は月見に行きましょう). I love autumn moon viewing - (私は秋の月見が大好きです).

満月: "Full moon". The Japanese noun '満月 (まんげつ)' refers to a full moon, the point at which the moon is completely illuminated from the Earth's perspective. This occurs approximately once a month when the moon is directly opposite the sun. The full moon is a popular motif in Japanese culture and art. For example: The full moon shone brightly in the night sky - (満月が夜空に輝いていた).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "つ" is read as "tsu". The hiragana "き" is read as "ki". The hiragana "げ" is read as "ge". And The hiragana "が" is read as "ga".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.