Learn the Japanese vocabulary for the months of the year
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
| 二月 (ni-gatsu) |
| 三月 (san-gatsu) |
| 四月 (shi-gatsu) |
| What do these words mean? Stick around. |
| In this quick lesson, you’ll learn Japanese vocabulary for months of the year. |
| Before we start, did you know that almost every month in Japan there is a holiday? Do you know which ones don’t? |
| Keep watching for the answer at the end. |
| 一月 (ichi-gatsu) |
| "January" |
| 一月 (ichi-gatsu) |
| 一月 (ichi-gatsu) |
| Have you heard of Wafū Getsumei (和風月名)? |
| These are traditional Japanese poetic names for each month, inspired by nature and the changing seasons. |
| For example, January is 睦月 (Mutsuki). |
| The name comes from the idea that relatives gather during the New Year to spend time together in warmth and harmony.. |
| Kaname and Ken talk about the winter weather in their city. |
| Kaname: ここでは一月によく雪が降ります。 (Koko de wa ichi-gatsu ni yoku yuki ga furimasu.) |
| Ken: 冬の景色は大好きです。 (Fuyu no keshiki wa daisuki desu.) |
| 二月 (ni-gatsu) |
| "February" |
| 二月 (ni-gatsu) |
| 二月 (ni-gatsu) |
| February is called Kisaragi (如月). |
| The name reflects the practice of wearing additional layers of clothing during the cold days as people await the arrival of spring. |
| Yoko and Eri plan the timeline for a big project. |
| Yoko: 二月は一番短い月ですから、この工程は日数が少ないです。 (Ni-gatsu wa ichi-ban mijikai tsuki desu kara, kono kōtei wa nissū ga sukunai desu.) |
| Eri: それに合わせて計画を立てましょう。 (Sore ni awasete keikaku o tatemashō.) |
| 三月 (san-gatsu) |
| "March" |
| 三月 (san-gatsu) |
| 三月 (san-gatsu) |
| March is called Yayoi (弥生). |
| The name means “the month when plants and trees begin to flourish.” |
| Lina and Emily talk about the upcoming change in season. |
| Lina: 三月は春の始まりです。外での撮影の時期ですね！ (San-gatsu wa haru no hajimari desu. Soto de no satsuei no jiki desu ne!) |
| Emily: そうですね、花がきれいです。 (Sō desu ne, hana ga kirei desu.) |
| 四月 (shi-gatsu) |
| "April" |
| 四月 (shi-gatsu) |
| 四月 (shi-gatsu) |
| April is called Uzuki (卯月). |
| The name refers to the time when the “deutzia” flowers bloom. |
| Tom and Oscar plan for an outdoor photo shoot. |
| Tom: 四月にはよく雨が降りますから、それに合わせて計画を立てましょう。 (Shi-gatsu ni wa yoku ame ga furimasu kara, sore ni awasete keikaku o tatemashō.) |
| Oscar: そうですね。防水の装備を持って行きます。 (Sō desu ne. Bōsui no sōbi o motte ikimasu.) |
| 五月 (go-gatsu) |
| "May" |
| 五月 (go-gatsu) |
| 五月 (go-gatsu) |
| May is called Satsuki (皐月). |
| The name comes from Sanaezuki, meaning “the month of rice planting,” and refers to the season when rice seedlings are planted in the fields. |
| Yoko tells Yuya about her garden. |
| Yoko: 私たちの庭は五月が美しいです。見に来てください。 (Watashi-tachi no niwa wa go-gatsu ga utsukushii desu. Mi ni kite kudasai.) |
| Yuya: ぜひ見たいです。 (Zehi mitai desu!) |
| 六月 (roku-gatsu) |
| "June" |
| 六月 (roku-gatsu) |
| 六月 (roku-gatsu) |
| June is called Minazuki (水無月). |
| Despite the characters meaning “month without water,” the name actually means “month of water.” |
| Here, na is an old possessive particle, so it refers to the time when water is brought into the rice fields. |
| Ken tells Jack about his friends' wedding plans. |
| Ken: 私の友達は六月に結婚します。 (Watashi no tomodachi wa roku-gatsu ni kekkon shimasu.) |
| Jack: それは素晴らしいニュースですね。 (Sore wa subarashii nyūsu desu ne.) |
| 七月 (shichi-gatsu) |
| "July" |
| 七月 (shichi-gatsu) |
| 七月 (shichi-gatsu) |
| July is called Fumizuki (文月). One theory is that it’s the “month of writing,” when people would read or write poems and letters. |
| Tom mentions his upcoming birthday to Aya. |
| Tom: 私の誕生日は七月です。小さなパーティーを計画しています。 (Watashi no tanjōbi wa shichi-gatsu desu. Chiisana pātī |
| o keikaku shite imasu.) |
| Aya: 楽しそうですね！ (Tanoshisō desu ne!) |
| 八月 (hachi-gatsu) |
| "August" |
| 八月 (hachi-gatsu) |
| 八月 (hachi-gatsu) |
| August is called Hazuki (葉月). The name is thought to come from Ha-ochizuki, meaning “month of falling leaves,” as trees slowly begin to shed their leaves. |
| Kaname talks to Yoko about taking a vacation while his daughter is off school. |
| Kaname: 八月は学校が休みです。だから、旅行に行こうと思っています。 (Hachi-gatsu wa gakkō ga yasumi desu. Dakara, ryokō ni ikō to omotte imasu.) |
| Yoko: 家族で過ごすのにいいですね。 (Kazoku de sugosu no ni ii desu ne.) |
| 九月 (ku-gatsu) |
| "September" |
| 九月 (ku-gatsu) |
| 九月 (ku-gatsu) |
| September is called Nagatsuki (長月). |
| The name comes from Yonagazuki, meaning “the month of long nights,” as the nights gradually grow longer. |
| Kaname and Susan chat about the school year. |
| Kaname: 学校の休みは九月までですね。いつもの毎日に戻ります。 (Gakkō no yasumi wa ku-gatsu made desu ne. Itsumo no mainichi ni modorimasu.) |
| Susan: 新しい始まりって感じですね。 (Atarashii hajimari tte kanji desu ne.) |
| 十月 (jū-gatsu) |
| "October" |
| 十月 (jū-gatsu) |
| 十月 (jū-gatsu) |
| October is called Kannazuki (神無月), often interpreted as “the month without gods,” because it was believed that all the gods leave their shrines and gather in Izumo. Interestingly, in the Izumo region, it’s called Kamiarizuki (神在月), meaning “the month when the gods are present.” |
| Oscar and Lina plan a Halloween-themed photo session. |
| Oscar: ハロウィンは十月です。テーマのある撮影をしましょう。 (Harowin wa jū-gatsu desu. Tēma no aru satsuei o shimashō.) |
| Lina: いいですね！ (Ii desu ne!) |
| 十一月 (jū ichi-gatsu) |
| "November" |
| 十一月 (jū ichi-gatsu) |
| 十一月 (jū ichi-gatsu) |
| November is called Shimotsuki (霜月). |
| The name means “frost month,” as it marks the time when frost begins to appear. |
| Tom and Oscar plan for an outdoor photo shoot. |
| Tom: 今年の十一月はとても寒いです。 (Kotoshi no jū ichi-gatsu wa totemo samui desu.) |
| Oscar: ええ、撮影の時には暖かい服を着ないといけませんね。 (Ee, satsuei no toki ni wa atatakai fuku o kinai to ikemasen ne.) |
| 十二月 (jū ni-gatsu) |
| "December" |
| 十二月 (jū ni-gatsu) |
| 十二月 (jū ni-gatsu) |
| December is called Shiwasu (師走). The name is said to mean “teachers (or monks) run,” reflecting how even usually calm figures become busy during the year-end rush. |
| Susan and Emily plan a holiday-themed event. |
| Susan: 十二月にはたくさんの祝日があります。 (Jū ni-gatsu ni wa takusan no shukujitsu ga arimasu.) |
| Emily: お祭りに最適な時期ですね。 (O-matsuri ni saiteki na jiki desu ne.) |
| Let's review. |
| You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in Japanese. |
| Ready? |
| Do you remember how to say "January"? |
| 一月 (ichi-gatsu) |
| 一月 (ichi-gatsu) |
| And how to say "February"? |
| 二月 (ni-gatsu) |
| 二月 (ni-gatsu) |
| How about "March"? |
| 三月 (san-gatsu) |
| 三月 (san-gatsu) |
| Do you remember how to say "April"? |
| 四月 (shi-gatsu) |
| 四月 (shi-gatsu) |
| And how to say "May"? |
| 五月 (go-gatsu) |
| 五月 (go-gatsu) |
| Let's try "June"! |
| 六月 (roku-gatsu) |
| 六月 (roku-gatsu) |
| What about "July"? |
| 七月 (shichi-gatsu) |
| 七月 (shichi-gatsu) |
| Now, let's see if you remember how to say "August"! |
| 八月 (hachi-gatsu) |
| 八月 (hachi-gatsu) |
| Another one! What about "September"? |
| 九月 (ku-gatsu) |
| 九月 (ku-gatsu) |
| Do you remember how to say "October"? |
| 十月 (jū-gatsu) |
| 十月 (jū-gatsu) |
| And how to say "November"? |
| 十一月 (jū ichi-gatsu) |
| 十一月 (jū ichi-gatsu) |
| Do you remember how to say "December"? |
| 十二月 (jū ni-gatsu) |
| 十二月 (jū ni-gatsu) |
| Did you know that almost every month in Japan there is a holiday? Do you know which ones don’t? |
| In Japan, there are no national holidays in June or December. But in December, many companies and banks close for the year-end, so people still get time off. |
| Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time! |
Comments
Hide