Chinese word

月亮

Pronunciation

Pinyinyuè liàng

Meaning

  • nounmoon

Example

今晚的月亮很圆。jīn wǎn de yuè liàng hěn yuán

The moon is very round tonight.

Illustration for 月亮 (moon)

More examples

孩子们在院子里看月亮。hái zi men zài yuàn zi lǐ kàn yuè liàng

The children are looking at the moon in the yard.

Core concept

A distant night-sky body that appears as a changing bright disk and lights the darkness with reflected sunlight.

Common phrases

  • 看月亮kàn yuè liàng

    look at the moon

  • 圆圆的月亮yuán yuán de yuè liàng

    round moon

  • 晚上有月亮wǎn shàng yǒu yuè liàng

    there is a moon at night

Similar words

月yuè: A concise everyday term for Earth's bright night-sky satellite.
月球yuè qiú: The natural satellite of Earth described in astronomical or scientific terms.

Definition in Chinese

围绕地球运行、反射太阳光而在夜空中发光的天体。wéi rào dì qiú yùn xíng fǎn shè tài yáng guāng ér zài yè kōng zhōng fā guāng de tiān tǐ

Word origin

月 (yuè, "moon") + 亮 (liàng, "bright") combines a celestial body with the idea of brightness, giving the compound its sense of the visibly shining moon.

Usage tips

  • The shorter Chinese form can mean either the moon or a calendar month, so the two-syllable form is a useful everyday way to make the night-sky meaning clear.

Opposites

Word lists with this word