月 (yuè): moon

Meanings

Pictograph of a crescent moon — also used to count months

Jīntiān shì jǐ yuè?

What month is it today?

Yì nián yǒu shí'èr gè yuè.

A year has twelve months.

Yuèliang hěn liàng.

The moon is very bright.

history

月 is a pictograph of a crescent moon. It's also a common radical (月字旁) in characters related to the body: 脸 (face), 腿 (leg), 肚 (belly).

grammar

Months are simply numbered: 一月 (January), 二月 (February)... 十二月 (December). No need to memorize separate names.

月 yuè