如月きさらぎ

also: じょげつ · きぬさらぎ

き

さ

ら

ぎ

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

second month of the lunar calendar

obsolete term

Obsolete term for the second month of the old lunar calendar, roughly corresponding to late February to early April in the modern calendar. Used in historical contexts or traditional poetry.

如月きさらぎは旧きゅう暦れきの二に月がつを指さす。
Kisaragi refers to the second month of the lunar calendar.

noun

February (poetic)

poetical term

Poetic or literary name for February, used in haiku, tanka, and other traditional poetry. Not used in everyday conversation.

如月きさらぎの空そらに梅うめの花はなが映はえる。
Plum blossoms stand out against the February sky.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

如月きさらぎの候こうa formal seasonal phrase meaning 'in this time of February,' used to open letters
如月きさらぎの候こう、いかがお過すごしでしょうか。
As February approaches, I hope you are doing well.

Kanji

如likeness, like, such as
月month, moon
衣garment, clothes, dressing
更grow late, night watch, sit up late
着don, arrive, wear

Related words

二に月がつN5sense 2
二月 is the plain, everyday word for February, while 如月 is its archaic, poetic name used in classical or literary contexts.

Don't confuse with

睦月むつき sense 1
睦月 is the traditional name for the first lunar month, whereas 如月 refers to the second, so learners often mix up the order of these old month names.
弥生やよい sense 1
弥生 is the traditional name for the third lunar month, coming right after 如月, and the two are easily confused as adjacent old month names.

Written forms

如月Usage67%
- きさらぎ
  Standard kanji form for the old lunar month name; also used poetically for February.
- じょげつ
  On'yomi reading; mainly encountered in historical or literary contexts.
きさらぎUsage33%
衣更着
- きさらぎ
  Ateji spelling based on the folk etymology of layering clothes against the cold; rarely used.
- きぬさらぎ
  Alternate reading for the ateji form; very rare.
更衣きさらぎ
Alternate ateji spelling; very rare.
じょげつ
きぬさらぎ

Etymology

The origin of きさらぎ is uncertain. One common theory is that it derives from 衣更着 (きぬさらぎ), meaning 'to wear more layers of clothing' because of the lingering cold. The kanji 如月 is a Chinese-derived name for the second lunar month.