Lesson 14: Months 一月、二月、三月、四月、五月、六月

In this lesson, I will teach you six words to express months: 一月、二月、三月、四月、五月 and 六月.

Meaning and Reading of 一月、二月、三月、四月、五月 and 六月:

Word	Reading	Meaning
一月	いちがつ	January
二月	にがつ	February
三月	さんがつ	March
四月	しがつ	April
五月	ごがつ	May
六月	ろくがつ	June

Pronunciation Patterns:

All months use the counter がつ (gatsu) after the number
April (四月) is uniquely pronounced しがつ (shigatsu) – never よんがつ
No sound changes occur for any months

Example Sentences of 一月、二月、三月、四月、五月 and 六月:

一月は日本で一番寒い月です。
Ichigatsu wa Nihon de ichiban samui tsuki desu.
January is the coldest month in Japan.

二月三日は節分です。
Nigatsu mikka wa setsubun desu.
February 3rd is Setsubun festival.

三月に卒業式があります。
Sangatsu ni sotsugyōshiki ga arimasu.
Graduation ceremonies are in March.

四月から新しい学校が始まります。
Shigatsu kara atarashii gakkō ga hajimarimasu.
New school starts from April.

五月五日は子供の日です。
Gogatsu itsuka wa kodomo no hi desu.
May 5th is Children’s Day.

六月は梅雨の季節です。
Rokugatsu wa tsuyu no kisetsu desu.
June is the rainy season.

Mini Quiz:

Test Your Understanding! Answers are at the end of this lesson.

1. How do you say “April” in Japanese?
a) よんがつ (yongatsu)
b) しがつ (shigatsu)
c) はちがつ (hachigatsu)

2. Complete the sentence:
______ に入学式があります。
The entrance ceremony is in April.
a) さんがつ (sangatsu)
b) しがつ (shigatsu)
c) ごがつ (gogatsu)

3. True or False:
The word for “April” is pronounced よんがつ (yongatsu).

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

April trap: Never say よんがつ for April – only しがつ is correct
がつ vs. げつ: Months always use がつ (e.g. 一月), while げつ is for counting months (e.g. 一ヶ月)
Special readings: Unlike days of the month, month names don’t have irregular readings except April
Particle usage: When specifying dates, use に (e.g. 三月に)
Calendar systems: Japan uses both Gregorian and era names (e.g. 令和５年６月)

Cultural Note:

Japan’s fiscal and academic years begin in April (四月), making this month culturally significant for new beginnings. Cherry blossom season (桜の季節) occurs in late March to April, symbolizing fresh starts. The rainy season (梅雨) starts in June, affecting daily life with high humidity and frequent showers.

Remember the kanji in this lesson easily: