三さん月がつ

さ

ん

が

つ

Common wordJLPTN5

Meanings

1

noun

March

The third month of the Gregorian calendar.

三さん月がつは卒そつ業ぎょう式しきの季き節せつです。

March is the season for graduation ceremonies.

彼かれの誕たん生じょう日びは三さん月がつ三みっ日かです。

His birthday is March 3rd.

2

noun

third month of the lunar calendar

Refers to the third month in the traditional Japanese lunar calendar, roughly corresponding to April in the modern calendar. Used mainly in historical or cultural contexts.

旧きゅう暦れきの三さん月がつは、今いまの四し月がつごろにあたる。
The third month of the old lunar calendar corresponds to around April now.

Kanji

月month, moon
三three

Related words

弥生やよい
弥生 is the classical/poetic old-calendar name for the third month, while 三月 is the ordinary modern word for March.
マーチ
3月 is the everyday Japanese way to write and say the month of March, while マーチ is a katakana rendering of the English name rarely used outside stylized contexts.

Don't confuse with

三み月つき sense 1
三月 read さんがつ means the calendar month of March, while the same kanji read みつき means a duration of three months.

Written forms

三さん月がつ
Standard kanji spelling, very frequent in general writing.
３さん月がつ
Common in schedules, dates, and digital contexts. The Arabic numeral form is widely used.

Etymology

From 三 (three) + 月 (month). The reading がつ is the standard suffix for month names.