Master JLPT N5 Kanji: 月 (Moon / Month) Readings & Sentences

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Master JLPT N5 Kanji: 月 (Moon / Month)

Whether you are setting up a schedule, telling someone your birthday, or looking up at the night sky, this character is a vital building block. Today, we are deep-diving into a high-yield N5 character that commands both calendar time and nature: 月.

📌 Quick Profile: 月

  • Meaning: Moon, Month

  • JLPT Level: N5 (Beginner)

  • Strokes: 4

  • Onyomi (Chinese Reading): ゲツ (getsu), ガツ (gatsu)

  • Kunyomi (Japanese Reading): つき (tsuki)

📖 Readings & Core Vocabulary

The character 月 utilizes distinct Onyomi readings depending on whether you are talking about calendar months or days of the week. Master these core compounds to clear the N5 hurdles:

  • 月 (つき – tsuki): Moon

  • 月曜日 (げつようび – getsuyoubi): Monday (Getsu = Moon Day)

  • 一月 (いちがつ – ichigatsu): January (Note: Use 「〜がつ」 for naming months)

  • 一ヶ月 (いっかげつ – ikkagetsu): One month (Used as a counter for a duration of months)

  • 毎月 (まいつき / まいげつ – maitsuki / maigetsu): Every month

💬 5 Natural Sentence Examples

Context yields long-term retention. Here are 5 natural, level-appropriate example sentences showing how 月 functions organically in everyday Japanese.

Example 1: Observing nature

日本語: 今夜は月がとても綺麗ですね。

Furigana: こんやは つきが とても きれいですね。

Romaji: Konya wa tsuki ga tomtmo kirei desu ne.

English: The moon is very beautiful tonight, isn’t it?

Example 2: Managing weekly schedules

日本語: 月曜日に新しい仕事が始まります。

Furigana: げつようびに あたらしい しごとが はじまります。

Romaji: Getsuyoubi ni atarashii shigoto ga hajimarimasu.

English: My new job starts on Monday.

Example 3: Stating dates and birthdays

日本語: 私は四月に日本へ来ました。

Furigana: わたしは しがつに にほんへ きました。

Romaji: Watashi wa shigatsu ni Nihon e kimashita.

English: I came to Japan in April.

Example 4: Measuring time durations

日本語: 三ヶ月間、日本語を練習しました。

Furigana: さんかげつかん、にほんごを れんしゅうしました。

Romaji: Sankangetsukan, nihongo o renshuu shimashita.

English: I practiced Japanese for a duration of three months.

Example 5: Talking about recurring expenses or habits

日本語: 毎月、たくさんの本を読みます。

Furigana: まいつき、たくさんの ほんを よみます。

Romaji: Maitsuki, takusan no hon o yomisu.

English: I read a lot of books every month.

💡 Mnemonics: How to Remember It?

Remembering 月 is simple because it is an evolutionary shape from nature:

  • Picture a drawing of a crescent moon floating in the night sky.

The two curved vertical legs represent the sides of the crescent silhouette, and the two horizontal lines inside indicate the glow or craters of the moon shining through the dark. Because the moon changes shapes over a 30-day cycle, it naturally evolved to represent a month as well!

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