Japanese Kanji Power. John Millen
month
ゲツ GETSU ガツGATSU つき tsuki
The character 月 represents the crescent moon.
GR1 N5 AP
Example Sentences
1. 今夜は満月だ。
Konya wa mangetsu da.
There is a full moon tonight.
2. 三ヶ月禁煙した。
Sankagetsu kin'en shita.
I quit smoking for three months.
3. 燃えるごみは月•水に出してください。
Moeru gomi wa ges-sui ni dashite kudasai.
Please put out burnable trash on Mondays and Wednesdays.
4. 日本では学校は四月に始まります。
Nihon de wa gakkō wa Shigatsu ni hajimarimasu.
In Japan, school begins in April.
5. 月が雲に隠れている。
Tsuki ga kumo ni kakurete iru.
The moon is hidden behind the clouds.
| Common Compounds and Phrases | ||
| 満月 | mangetsu | a full moon |
| 三ヶ月 | sankagetsu | three months |
| 先月 | sengetsu | last month |
| 十一月 | jūichigatsu | November |
| 一月 | ichigatsu | January |
| 一月 | hitotsuki | one month |
| 正月 | shōgatsu | New Year's |
26
五
five
ゴ GO いつ itsu いつ • つ itsu(tsu)
In the character 五 the upper horizontal stroke signifies ten and the lower one one; the middle line represents the half-way point, five.
GR1 N5 AP
Example Sentences
1. 五月五日は子供の日です。
Gogatsu itsuka wa Kodomo no Hi desu.
May 5th is Children's Day.
2. 可能性は五分五分だ。
Kanōsei wa gobu gobu da.
There's a fifty-fifty chance.
3. 五百五十円になります。
Gohyaku gojū-en ni narimasu.
That comes to ¥550.
4. オリンピックの五りんマークのTシャツを買った。
Orinpikku no gorin māku no T-shatsu o katta.
I bought a t-shirt with the (five-ring) Olympic emblem on it.
5. 五つ星のホテルに泊まった。
Itsutsu-boshi no hoteru ni tomatta.
I stayed in a five-star hotel!
| Common Compounds and Phrases | ||
| 五月 | gogatsu | May |
| 五日 | itsuka | the fifth of the month; five days |
| 五つ星 | itsutsu-boshi | five-star |
| 五感 | gokan | the five senses |
| 五十音 | gojūon | the Japanese syllabary |
| *五月晴れ | satsukibare | fine weather during the May rainy season |
27
午
noon
ゴ GO
The character 午 originated from a pictograph of a wooden pestle. It came to have the meaning of noon, the middle of the day, perhaps because a pestle hits the middle of a mortar.
GR2 N5 AP
Example Sentences
1. 午前中にこの仕事をやっておいて下さい。
Gozenchū ni kono shigoto o yatte oite kudasai.
Please attend to this business this morning.
2. 午後なら行けます。
Gogo nara ikemasu.
I'll be able to go in the afternoon.
3. 子午線は北極と南極を結ぶ線です。
Shigosen wa hokkyoku to nankyoku o musubu sen desu.
A meridian is a line that links the North and South Poles.
4. 端午の節句にこいのぼりを飾りました。
Tango no sekku ni koinobori o kazarimashita.
I raised a carp streamer on Tango no sekku.
5. 列車は正午に出発します。
Ressha wa shōgo ni shuppatsu shimasu.
The train departs at noon.
| Common Compounds and Phrases | ||
| 午前 | gozen | morning; A.M. |
| 午前中 | gozenchū | during the morning |
| 午後 | gogo | afternoon; P.M. |
| 正午 | shōgo | noon |
| 子午線 | shigosen | the meridian (line) |
| 端午の節句 | Tango no sekku | Children's Day (May 5th) |
28
今
now; this; present
キン KIN コン KON いま ima
The character 今 depicts something being covered to prevent its escape. The meaning of now and immediately perhaps came from covering it quickly.
GR2 N5 AP
Example Sentences
1. 今週の予定を立てよう。
Konshū no yoteio tateyō.
Let's organize this week's schedule.
2. ただ今、電話中です。
Tadaima, denwachū desu.
He is on the phone at the moment.
3. 今朝は寒い。
Kesa wa samui.
It is cold this morning.
4. ただいま（今)。
Tadaima.
I'm home!
5. 今度、いっしょに旅行に行きませんか。
Kondo, issho ni ryokō ni ikimasen ka.
Would you like to go on a trip with me sometime?
| Common Compounds and Phrases | ||
| 今週 | konshū | this week |
| 今月 | kongetsu | this month |
| *今日 | kyō; konnichi | today; now |
| 今度 | kondo | the |