Japanese word

先月

Pronunciation

Romajisengetsu

Meaning

  • adverblast month

Example

先月、友達と映画を見ました。sen getsu tomo dachi to ei ga o mi ma shi ta

I watched a movie with a friend last month.

Illustration for 先月 (last month)

More examples

先月、家族と近くの公園へ行きました。sen getsu ka zoku to chika ku no kō en e i ki ma shi ta

Last month, I went to a nearby park with my family.

Core concept

先月 (sengetsu) identifies the previous calendar month in relation to the time of speaking.

Common phrases

  • 先月はsen getsu wa

    last month

  • 先月からsen getsu ka ra

    since last month

  • 先月までsen getsu ma de

    until last month

Definition in Japanese

話し手がいる月の前にある月。hana shi te ga i ru tsuki no mae ni a ru tsuki

Word origin

The word 先月 (sengetsu) is formed from 先 (sen, "previous") and 月 (getsu, "month"), giving the sense of the previous month.

Usage tips

  • The time word 先月 (sengetsu) helps speakers place a past event in the calendar without naming an exact date.

Word lists with this word