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名月 (めいげつ, meigetsu) Japanese meaning: harvest moon | Kotomora
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めい
月げつ
です
。
Tonight is the harvest moon.
We ate dango while gazing at the harvest moon.
Usage patterns 名めい 月げつ を 眺なが める to gaze at the harvest moon
I gazed at the harvest moon from the veranda.
名めい 月げつ が 昇のぼ る the harvest moon rises
The harvest moon rose in the eastern sky.
名めい 月げつ を 愛め でる to appreciate/admire the harvest moon
We admired the harvest moon and ate dumplings together as a family.
Kanji 名 name, noted, distinguished Related words 満月 is the everyday term for any full moon, while 名月 usually points specifically to the poetic harvest moon of mid-autumn.
十五夜 refers to the night of the 15th (often the harvest-moon night itself), whereas 名月 names the moon seen on that night.
望月 is a classical, literary word for the full moon, close in flavor to 名月 but without the specific harvest-moon association.
名月 specifically means the bright, celebrated harvest moon (esp. mid-autumn), while 秋月 is a more literary, general term for the autumn moon.
Written forms 名めい 月げつ Usage 96%
Primary kanji form for the harvest moon sense; also used for a bright/full moon in general.
明めい 月げつ Usage 4%
Alternate kanji form; Restricted this spelling to the bright/full moon sense, but it is also seen for the harvest moon.
Etymology 名月 literally means 'famous moon' or 'celebrated moon', referring to the renowned beauty of the mid-autumn full moon. 明月 means 'bright moon'. Both are read めいげつ, using the on'yomi of the kanji.
