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皓月 (こうげつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

皓こう月げつ

こ

う

げ

つ

Meanings

1

noun

bright white moon

archaic

Archaic literary term for a clear, luminous moon. Not used in modern everyday Japanese; encountered mainly in classical poetry or historical texts.

古こ典てんの和わ歌かには「皓こう月げつ」という言こと葉ばがよく見みられる。
The word 皓月 is often seen in classical waka poetry.

Kanji

皓white, clear
月month, moon

Similar words

明めい月げつ
明月 is a more common literary term for a bright moon, still used in modern poetic contexts, while 皓月 is distinctly archaic.
満まん月げつ
満月 is the standard modern word for 'full moon', without the archaic or purely literary feel of 皓月.

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound of 皓 (bright white) and 月 (moon). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it appears in classical Chinese-influenced Japanese literature.