Lesson 15: Months 七月、八月、九月、十月、十一月、十二月

In this lesson, I will teach you six words to express months: 七月、八月、九月、十月、十一月 and 十二月.

Meaning and Reading of 七月、八月、九月、十月、十一月 and 十二月:

Word	Reading	Meaning
七月	しちがつ	July
八月	はちがつ	August
九月	くがつ	September
十月	じゅうがつ	October
十一月	じゅういちがつ	November
十二月	じゅうにがつ	December

Pronunciation Patterns:

July (七月) uniquely uses しちがつ (shichigatsu) – never なながつ
September (九月) is pronounced くがつ (kugatsu) – not きゅうがつ
All months maintain the がつ ending without sound changes

Example Sentences of 七月、八月、九月、十月、十一月 and 十二月:

七月は海に行くのが一番楽しいです。
Shichigatsu wa umi ni iku no ga ichiban tanoshii desu.
July is the most fun time to go to the beach.

八月に夏祭りがあります。
Hachigatsu ni natsumatsuri ga arimasu.
There’s a summer festival in August.

九月から新学期が始まります。
Kugatsu kara shingakki ga hajimarimasu.
The new school term starts from September.

十月は紅葉が美しい季節です。
Jūgatsu wa momiji ga utsukushii kisetsu desu.
October is the season for beautiful autumn leaves.

十一月には文化祭があります。
Jūichigatsu ni wa bunkasai ga arimasu.
There’s a cultural festival in November.

十二月二十五日はクリスマスです。
Jūnigatsu nijūgonichi wa kurisumasu desu.
December 25th is Christmas.

Mini Quiz:

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

1. How do you say “September” in Japanese?
a) きゅうがつ (kyūgatsu)
b) くがつ (kugatsu)
c) しちがつ (shichigatsu)

2. Complete the sentence:
______ に文化祭があります。
The cultural festival is in November.
a) じゅうがつ (jūgatsu)
b) じゅういちがつ (jūichigatsu)
c) じゅうにがつ (jūnigatsu)

3. True or False:
The word for “July” is pronounced なながつ (nanagatsu).

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

July trap: Never say なながつ for July – only しちがつ is correct
September exception: Remember it’s くがつ (not きゅうがつ)
Compound months: November and December are full compounds (じゅういちがつ/じゅうにがつ)
Particle usage: Always use に for specific months (e.g. 八月に)

Cultural Note:

Japan has unique seasonal traditions:

July/August: Obon festival (お盆) when people honor ancestors
September: Respect for the Aged Day (敬老の日) on third Monday
October: Sports Day (体育の日) celebrating health and fitness
November: Labor Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日)
December: Christmas is romantic (not religious) and Ōmisoka (大晦日) New Year’s Eve traditions

Remember the kanji in this lesson easily: