月 yuè — moon; month

Pinyin

• yuè (fourth tone, falling)

moon; month

Character breakdown

• 月shape partA single pictograph: a crescent moon with two marks inside.

Mnemonic

A crescent, never a closed circle — that is exactly what separates it from the sun 日. The two short strokes inside are the markings on its face. Because the phases measure out the month, 月 also names the month: 一月, 三个月. One warning: the 月 you see in 脸, 脚 and 胖 is not this moon but the flattened meat radical 肉.

A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.

Words containing 月

• 月yuè (fourth tone, falling)month (of the calendar)
• 月亮yuèliang (fourth tone, falling)the moon

Radical 月 — other characters

• 有yǒu (third tone, dipping)to have, to possess; there is, there are; to exist
• 朋péng (second tone, rising)friend, companion (chiefly in 朋友); of the same kind, matched