In the last vocabulary post, we learned had some Fun With Numbers, where we learned how to count in Japanese. Today, we'll be using those numbers to figure out what month it is.
Much like the first vocabulary post, this will feature kanji readings followed by the English translation and kana for each word. Don't worry about learning the kanji if you are just starting out. Just focus on how the numbers form each month with our new word for month.
For now, we'll focus on the months on the year, but, eventually, we'll learn the days of the week and how to say the actual date (no, it's not just the number before or after the month like in English). Until then, have fun practicing the numbers and using them to form the names of the months.
First, we need the word for month. A month is roughly the amount of time it takes the Moon to rotate on its access and also to circle the Earth. This causes the Moon to have specific phases that repeat every month in the forms of crescents or full moons or what have you. Thus, the word for Month is the same as Moon in Japanese.
Remember, the katakana is the On- reading (音) and the hiragana is the Kun- reading (訓).
Much like the first vocabulary post, this will feature kanji readings followed by the English translation and kana for each word. Don't worry about learning the kanji if you are just starting out. Just focus on how the numbers form each month with our new word for month.
For now, we'll focus on the months on the year, but, eventually, we'll learn the days of the week and how to say the actual date (no, it's not just the number before or after the month like in English). Until then, have fun practicing the numbers and using them to form the names of the months.
First, we need the word for month. A month is roughly the amount of time it takes the Moon to rotate on its access and also to circle the Earth. This causes the Moon to have specific phases that repeat every month in the forms of crescents or full moons or what have you. Thus, the word for Month is the same as Moon in Japanese.
Remember, the katakana is the On- reading (音) and the hiragana is the Kun- reading (訓).
月 Month, Moon
音:ゲツ、ガツ 訓:つき
Common Compounds
月末 げつまつ end of this month
今月 こんげつ this month
来月 らいげつ next month
先月 せんげつ last month
Now that we know how to say Month, it's time to use our knowledge of numbers to form the months. It's pretty simple to be honest. January is the first month. Therefore, it is written, literally, 'one-month'. The kanji for one is 一 and we just learned the kanji for month is 月, so January becomes 一月. It is the same for every single month, ending with December as 'twelve-month' or 十二月.
Months of the Year
一月 いちがつ January
二月 にがつ February
三月 さんがつ March
四月 しがつ April
五月 ごがつ May
六月 ろくがつ June
七月 しちがつ July
八月 はちがつ August
九月 くがつ September
十月 じゅうがつ October
十一月 じゅういちがつ November
十二月 じゅうにがつ December
Notes
4 & 7
Four and Seven use the On- readings for the months because they are between one and ten. As I said in the numbers vocabulary, they typically switch to the Kun- after ten. Also, 'month' is using the がつ reading for the months instead of the alternate げつ On reading.
Alternate Readings
There are alternate readings for the months of the year that have been replaced by the ones listed above. They are used in some Japanese names still, so I felt like letting you know about that in case you ever ran across them. It still used the same kanji for month, but it was typically pronounced ずき instead of つき.
音:ゲツ、ガツ 訓:つき
Common Compounds
月末 げつまつ end of this month
今月 こんげつ this month
来月 らいげつ next month
先月 せんげつ last month
Now that we know how to say Month, it's time to use our knowledge of numbers to form the months. It's pretty simple to be honest. January is the first month. Therefore, it is written, literally, 'one-month'. The kanji for one is 一 and we just learned the kanji for month is 月, so January becomes 一月. It is the same for every single month, ending with December as 'twelve-month' or 十二月.
Months of the Year
一月 いちがつ January
二月 にがつ February
三月 さんがつ March
四月 しがつ April
五月 ごがつ May
六月 ろくがつ June
七月 しちがつ July
八月 はちがつ August
九月 くがつ September
十月 じゅうがつ October
十一月 じゅういちがつ November
十二月 じゅうにがつ December
Notes
4 & 7
Four and Seven use the On- readings for the months because they are between one and ten. As I said in the numbers vocabulary, they typically switch to the Kun- after ten. Also, 'month' is using the がつ reading for the months instead of the alternate げつ On reading.
Alternate Readings
There are alternate readings for the months of the year that have been replaced by the ones listed above. They are used in some Japanese names still, so I felt like letting you know about that in case you ever ran across them. It still used the same kanji for month, but it was typically pronounced ずき instead of つき.
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