What does 月 mean in Japanese?
月 means moon and month in Japanese. It is one of the first kanji learners meet because it appears in dates (一月, January), weekdays (月曜日, Monday), and everyday words about time. Its shape comes from a drawing of a crescent moon, and because the traditional Japanese calendar was lunar, the same kanji came to represent both the moon and the months of the year.
月 has three common readings. Read it as つき (tsuki) when it stands alone meaning ‘moon,’ as ガツ (gatsu) in month names such as 一月 (ichigatsu, January), and as ゲツ (getsu) in words like 月曜日 (getsuyōbi, Monday) and 今月 (kongetsu, this month).
Reading
On’yomi: ゲツ (getsu), ガツ (gatsu)
Kun’yomi: つき (tsuki)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 月 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | moon, month |
| Stroke Count | 4 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
How to Understand This Kanji
月 is used for the moon itself (満月, full moon), for months of the year (一月, 二月…), and for Monday (月曜日, literally ‘moon day’). The lunar calendar origin explains this triple role.
Common Words
- 月（つき / tsuki） — moon
- 月曜日（げつようび / getsuyōbi） — Monday
- 今月（こんげつ / kongetsu） — this month
- 毎月（まいつき / maitsuki） — every month
- 一月（いちがつ / ichigatsu） — January
- 月見（つきみ / tsukimi） — moon viewing (autumn tradition)
Example Sentences
-
月が綺麗ですね。
つきがきれいですね。 / Tsuki ga kirei desu ne.
The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?
-
今月はテストがあります。
こんげつはテストがあります。 / Kongetsu wa tesuto ga arimasu.
I have a test this month.
-
月曜日から仕事が始まります。
げつようびからしごとがはじまります。 / Getsuyōbi kara shigoto ga hajimarimasu.
Work starts on Monday.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
月 is essential for dates and months. Japanese months use the number + 月 pattern: 一月 (January), 二月 (February), and so on up to 十二月 (December). Monday (月曜日) literally means ‘moon day,’ just like ‘Monday’ in English.
Summary
月 means ‘moon’ and ‘month’ and is indispensable for expressing dates, months, and days of the week.