月げっ食しょく

げ

っ

しょ

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

lunar eclipse

astronomy

Astronomy term for an eclipse of the moon, used both in scientific contexts and ordinary news or conversation about sky events.

昨さく夜や、月げっ食しょくを観かん察さつした。
I observed a lunar eclipse last night.

次つぎの月げっ食しょくは日本にほんでも見みられるそうです。

They say the next lunar eclipse will also be visible in Japan.

Usage patterns

月げっ食しょくが起おきるfor a lunar eclipse to occur
今こん夜や、皆かい既き月げっ食しょくが起おきる予よ定ていだ。
A total lunar eclipse is expected to occur tonight.
月げっ食しょくを観かん測そくするto observe a lunar eclipse
天てん文もん台だいで月げっ食しょくを観かん測そくした。
We observed the lunar eclipse at the observatory.
〈場ば所しょ〉で月げっ食しょくが見みえるthe lunar eclipse can be seen from a place
日本にほん全ぜん国こくで月げっ食しょくが見みえる。
The lunar eclipse can be seen all over Japan.

Kanji

月month, moon
食eat, food
蝕eclipse, occultation, be defective

Don't confuse with

日にっ食しょくN1
月食 is an eclipse of the moon while 日食 is an eclipse of the sun, and learners often mix up the two despite their similar しょく ending.

Counted with

回かいN4
counter for occurrences; times · time; instance; occasion · inning (baseball); round; game · episode; chapter; installment · Hui (people) · Islam

Word family

皆かい既き月げっ食しょく
total lunar eclipse
部ぶ分ぶん月げっ食しょく
partial lunar eclipse

Written forms

月げっ食しょくUsage84%
Standard modern spelling and the high-priority form.
月げっ蝕しょくUsage16%
Alternative spelling using 蝕; less common than 月食 but understandable and still encountered, especially in more formal or older-looking writing.

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound: 月 means 'moon' and 食 here is conventionally used for 'eclipse.' The variant 月蝕 uses 蝕, a character associated with being eaten away or eclipsed.