Months in Japanese: Names, Kanji, and Seasonal Traditions
Good news: the months in Japanese are incredibly straightforward. Unlike English where you need to memorize twelve completely different words, Japanese just uses the numbers 1 through 12 followed by 月 (gatsu, month). January is literally "month one," February is "month two," and so on. But there is more to the story if you want to dig deeper, including beautiful traditional month names that are still used in literature and formal contexts today.
The 12 Months in Japanese
Each month is simply the number plus 月 (がつ / gatsu). Note that April (四月), July (七月), and September (九月) use specific number readings.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一月 | いちがつ | ichigatsu | January |
| 二月 | にがつ | nigatsu | February |
| 三月 | さんがつ | sangatsu | March |
| 四月 | しがつ | shigatsu | April (uses し not よん) |
| 五月 | ごがつ | gogatsu | May |
| 六月 | ろくがつ | rokugatsu | June |
| 七月 | しちがつ | shichigatsu | July (uses しち not なな) |
| 八月 | はちがつ | hachigatsu | August |
| 九月 | くがつ | kugatsu | September (uses く not きゅう) |
| 十月 | じゅうがつ | juugatsu | October |
| 十一月 | じゅういちがつ | juuichigatsu | November |
| 十二月 | じゅうにがつ | juunigatsu | December |
月 vs. がつ vs. げつ: The Three Readings
がつ (gatsu) is used for specific months of the year. 一月 (ichigatsu) = January. If someone asks what month it is, you answer with がつ.
げつ (getsu) is used for the day of the week (月曜日, getsuyōbi = Monday) and sometimes in compounds. It carries more of a "moon" or general "month" meaning.
つき (tsuki) is the native Japanese reading, used for "moon" and sometimes "month" in a general sense. 三ヶ月 (sankagetsu, three months) uses a different counter entirely.
For the months of the year, it is always がつ. Do not mix these up or you will confuse people.
Traditional Japanese Month Names (旧暦)
Before the modern calendar, each month had a poetic name based on nature and seasonal events. These old names (旧暦, kyūreki) still appear in literature, tea ceremony, and traditional arts. They are beautiful and worth knowing.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 睦月 | むつき | mutsuki | January (month of affection/harmony) |
| 如月 | きさらぎ | kisaragi | February (month of changing clothes) |
| 弥生 | やよい | yayoi | March (month of new growth) |
| 卯月 | うづき | uzuki | April (month of the deutzia flower) |
| 皐月 | さつき | satsuki | May (month of early rice planting) |
| 水無月 | みなづき | minazuki | June (month of water/no water) |
| 文月 | ふみづき | fumizuki | July (month of writing/literature) |
| 葉月 | はづき | hazuki | August (month of leaves) |
| 長月 | ながつき | nagatsuki | September (month of long nights) |
| 神無月 | かんなづき | kannazuki | October (month without gods) |
| 霜月 | しもつき | shimotsuki | November (month of frost) |
| 師走 | しわす | shiwasu | December (month when even teachers run) |
Seasonal Traditions by Month
January (一月): お正月 (oshōgatsu, New Year) is the biggest holiday. Families eat おせち料理 (osechi ryōri) and visit shrines for 初詣 (hatsumōde).
February (二月): 節分 (setsubun) on February 3rd involves throwing beans to drive away evil spirits. Also Valentine's Day, where women traditionally give chocolate to men.
March (三月): ひな祭り (hinamatsuri, Girls' Day) on March 3rd. Also graduation season and the start of cherry blossom watching.
April (四月): The school year and fiscal year begin. 花見 (hanami, cherry blossom viewing) is in full swing.
May (五月): ゴールデンウィーク (Golden Week) is a string of holidays. 子供の日 (kodomo no hi, Children's Day) is May 5th.
June (六月): 梅雨 (tsuyu, rainy season) begins. Not many holidays, but あじさい (hydrangeas) bloom everywhere.
July-August (七月・八月): Summer festivals (夏祭り, natsumatsuri), fireworks (花火, hanabi), and お盆 (obon) ancestor celebrations.
September-November (九月〜十一月): 紅葉 (kōyō, autumn leaves) season. 月見 (tsukimi, moon viewing) in September.
December (十二月): 忘年会 (bōnenkai, year-end parties) and preparing for the new year. Christmas is celebrated but more as a romantic holiday than a religious one.
Useful Date-Related Vocabulary
These words come up constantly when talking about months and dates.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 今月 | こんげつ | kongetsu | this month |
| 先月 | せんげつ | sengetsu | last month |
| 来月 | らいげつ | raigetsu | next month |
| 毎月 | まいつき | maitsuki | every month |
| 何月 | なんがつ | nangatsu | what month? |
| ヶ月 | かげつ | kagetsu | counter for months (duration) |
| 月末 | げつまつ | getsumatsu | end of the month |
| 月初 | げっしょ | gessho | beginning of the month |
Months in Conversation
Here is how months come up in everyday Japanese.
Tips for Remembering the Months
April = しがつ (not よんがつ): Uses the し reading of 四. This is one of the few places where し is preferred over よん.
July = しちがつ (not なながつ): Uses しち, the same reading used in 七時 (shichiji, 7 o'clock).
September = くがつ (not きゅうがつ): Uses the く reading of 九, just like 九時 (kuji, 9 o'clock).
A helpful pattern: the "irregular" month readings use the same number readings as telling time. If you have already learned the hours, you already know these.
Common Questions About Japanese Months
Are the traditional month names still used in modern Japanese?
You will not hear them in everyday conversation, but they show up in literature, poetry, formal invitations, tea ceremony, and traditional arts. Some are also used as names for people. 弥生 (Yayoi) and 皐月 (Satsuki) are popular girls' names, for example.
Why does 水無月 (June) mean 'month without water' when June is the rainy season?
This is a classic question. The 無 here likely does not mean 'without' but serves as a connecting particle, so it actually means 'month of water.' Another theory is that the rice paddies have drained all the water from the sky. Either way, the name has stuck for centuries.
How do I say specific dates in Japanese?
Dates use the format: month + day + 日. But the first 10 days of the month have special readings (一日 = ついたち, 二日 = ふつか, etc.) that you need to memorize separately. After the 10th, it becomes more regular with number + にち.
When does the Japanese school year start?
The Japanese school year starts in April (四月) and ends in March (三月). This is different from most Western countries. The fiscal year for businesses and government also follows this April-to-March cycle.
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