Japanese word

ヶ月

Pronunciation

Romajikagetsu

Meaning

  • countermonth

Example

三ヶ月かかります。san ka getsu ka ka ri ma su

It takes three months.

Illustration for ヶ月 (month)

More examples

二ヶ月ごとに模擬試験を受けます。ni ka getsu go to ni mo gi shi ken o u ke ma su

I take a practice test every two months.

Core concept

Counts time in monthly units when stating the duration of an event, condition, or process.

Common phrases

  • 二ヶ月ごとni ka getsu go to

    every two months

  • 二ヶ月前ni ka getsu mae

    two months ago

  • 二ヶ月後ni ka getsu ato

    two months later

  • 二ヶ月以内ni ka getsu i nai

    within two months

Definition in Japanese

数の後に置き、一定の期間を月単位で数える助数詞。sū no ato ni o ki it tei no ki kan o gatsu tan i de kazo e ru jo sū shi

Word origin

ヶ月 (kagetsu, "a counter for months") is the shortened form of 箇月 (kagetsu), whose parts are 箇 (ka, "counter") and 月 (getsu, "month").

Usage tips

  • The forms 一月 (ichigatsu, "January") and 一ヶ月 (ikkagetsu, "one month") can look similar, but the latter clearly marks a duration.

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