Moon in Japanese: tsuki, explained through example sentences

How to say “moon” in Japanese

Japanese people would say “tsuki”. It is the Japanese word for ‘(the) moon’. In this blog post, I will explain it in detail. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. Let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “tsuki”
• Example #1: how to say “the moon” in Japanese
• Example #2: how to use “tsuki” as a month counter
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “tsuki”

First of all, let me start with the definition and meaning of “tsuki”.

• tsuki – 月 (つき) : a noun meaning ‘(the) moon’ in Japanese.

When it is used alone, it basically means ‘(the) moon’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, however, it can also be used to mean ‘month(s)’. The ancient Japanese calendar system was based on the phases of the moon. So, even today, the Japanese word for ‘(the) moon’ has a strong relation to the calendar system and can be used to count months. Based on this fact, the definition and meaning above can be re-written as follows.

• tsuki – 月 (つき) : a noun meaning ‘(the) moon’ in Japanese. When it is used after a numeral, it can work as a month counter with the meaning of “month(s)”.

These are the definitions and meanings of “tsuki”. In the rest part of this blog post, I will explain its usages as both a noun and a month counter.

Then, let me explain how to use “tsuki” to mean the moon in Japanese.

Example #1: how to say “the moon” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kyou – 今日 (きょう) : a noun meaning ‘today’ in Japanese. Learn more about “kyou“.
• no – の : a case particle used to limit a meaning of its following word with a meaning of its preceding word. In the example, it is used to limit the meaning of its following word, “tsuki”, with the meaning of its preceding word, “kyou”. The formed phrase, “kyou no tsuki”, can be literally translated into English as ‘the moon of today’. Although word orders in Japanese and English are different, the role of “no” is quite similar to that of the English preposition, “of”. Both can be used to limit a meaning of word based on relations like possessing and belonging. In reality, the phrase has been translated as ‘the moon … today’, though.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, it is put after the noun phrase, “kyou no tsuki”, to make the subject word in the sentence.
• totemo – とても : an adverb used to emphasize a meaning of its following word. It is often translated into English as ‘so’, ‘very’, or ‘much’. In the example, it is put before “kirei” to emphasize its meaning.
• kirei – 綺麗 (きれい) : one conjugation of the na-adjective, “kireina”, which means ‘beautiful’ in Japanese. It has been conjugated for a better connection with its following word. Learn more about “kireina“.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb put after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, it is well known for a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, it is put after the conjugated na-adjective, “kirei”, to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “tsuki”. In this example, it is used as a noun to mean the moon in Japanese. When we want to say “(the) moon” in Japanese, this word would be the best choice.

Next, then, let me explain how to use “tsuki” as a month counter.

Example #2: how to use “tsuki” as a month counter

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
• ga – が : a case particle put after a noun or pronoun to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, it is put after the pronoun, “kare”, to make the subject word in the sentence.
• tsuki – 月 (つき) : the first one in this example is used as a noun to mean the moon in Japanese.
• ni – に : a case particle to indicate a particular place to which someone or something goes. In the example, it is put after the noun, “tsuki”, to indicate the particular place to which “kare” went.
• it – 行っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iku”, which means ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for a better connection with its following word.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle put after a verb or adjective to make its te form. In the example, it is put after the conjugated verb, “it”, to make its te form, “it te”. Normally, verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “kara”.
• kara – から : a case particle used to indicate a particular place or time at which something starts. It is often translated as ‘from’, ‘since’, or ‘after’. In the example, it is used to indicate the particular time at which “kare” left for the moon.
• hito – 一 (ひと) : a numeral meaning ‘one’ in Japanese.
• tsuki – 月 (つき) : the second one in this example is used as a month counter. It is put after the numeral, “hito”, to mean ‘one month’ in Japanese.
• sugi – 過ぎ (すぎ) : one conjugation of the verb, “sugiru”, which means ‘to pass’ or ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for a better connection with its following word.
• mashi – まし : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, “masu”, which is put after a verb to make it polite. In the example, it is put after the conjugated verb, “sugi”, to make it sound polite.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb put after a verb, adjective, auxiliary verb, or phrase to make its past tense. Probably, it is well known for a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, it is put after the verb phrase, “sugi mashi”, to make its past tense, “sugi mashi ta”, which literally means ‘to have passed’.

This is a typical usage of “tsuki” as a month counter. In this example, it is put after the numeral, “hito”, to form the word, “hito tsuki”, which means ‘one month’ in Japanese. When it is used after a numeral, most probably it would be a month counter.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the word, “tsuki”. When it is used as a noun, it means ‘(the) moon’ in Japanese. When it is used after a numeral, it would be a month counter. Let me summarize them as follows.

• tsuki – 月 (つき) : a noun meaning ‘(the) moon’ in Japanese. When it is used after a numeral, it can work as a month counter with the meaning of “month(s)”.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.