望月

wàngyuè
noun #34,905

Meanings

  1. 1 full moon
  2. 2 to gaze at the moon

Examples

Zhōngqiū zhī yè, quánjiā yīqǐ wàngyuè.
On Mid-Autumn night the whole family gazes at the moon together.
Nónglì shíwǔ shì wàngyuè zhī shí.
The 15th of the lunar month is when the moon is full.

Tips

history
In classical Chinese astronomy, specifically names the day the moon is fully opposite the sun — i.e. the full moon, around the 15th of each lunar month. So 望月 carries both senses: the act of moon-gazing (Mid-Autumn poetry) and the full moon itself. It is also a common Japanese surname (Mochizuki) which keeps the same characters.

Stroke Order

wàng
yuè