What does “mangetsu” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “mangetsu” to mean ‘full moon’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “mangetsu” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “mangetsu”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “mangetsu”.
- mangetsu – 満月 (まんげつ) : a noun meaning ‘full moon’ in Japanese.
The definition and meaning are very simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Mangetsu in kanji
The kanji expression of “mangetsu” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 満 : a kanji character sometimes used like a prefix to add the meaning of ‘full’ in Japanese.
- 月 : a kanji character used to mean ‘moon’ or ‘month’ in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that “mangetsu” literally means ‘full moon’ in Japanese. What the kanji characters express is completely in line with the meaning.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “mangetsu” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “mangetsu” together with its kanji expression. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “full moon” in Japanese
kyou wa mangetsu desu – 今日は満月です (きょうはまんげつです)
There is a full moon today.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kyou – 今日 (きょう) : a noun meaning ‘today’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works as a topic marker after “kyou” to put a focus on it.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “mangetsu” to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “mangetsu”. Japanese native speakers often use this example sentence on nights of a full moon. It’s worth knowing.
Example #2: another usage of “mangetsu”
「mangetsu ga akaruku te kirei」 to kanojo ga it ta – 「満月が明るくて綺麗」と彼女が言った (「まんげつがあかるくてきれい」とかのじょがいった)
“The full moon is bright and beautiful,” she said.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. The first “ga” in the example is used after “mangetsu” to make the subject in the clause.
- akaruku – 明るく (あかるく) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, “akarui”, which means ‘bright’ or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after “akaruku” to make its te form, “akaruku te”. This te form can have a smooth connection with the following adjective.
- kirei – 綺麗 (きれい) : the stem part of the na-adjective, “kireina“, which means ‘beautiful’ in Japanese. This can work like one conjugation of “kireina” and mean ‘beautiful’.
- to – と : a case particle working as a quote marker. In the example, this works after the clause to indicate what “kanojo” said.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- it – 言っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iu“, which means ‘to say’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “it” to make its past tense form, “it ta”.
This is another typical usage of “mangetsu”. When we want to say “full moon” in Japanese, this noun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “mangetsu” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- mangetsu – 満月 (まんげつ) : a noun meaning ‘full moon’ in Japanese. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘full moon’ in Japanese. What the kanji characters express is completely in line with the meaning. When we want to say “full moon” in Japanese, this noun is always a very good option.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.