正月

Chinese

		first; principal	moon; month
simp. and trad. (正月)		正	月

Etymology

According to Guangyun ([2]) and Zhu Xi (朱熹) ([3]), the character 正 here was originally pronounced zhèng (like 政); according to Zhang Shoujie (張守節); its special pronunciation zhēng (like 征) originated from the naming taboo on Qin Shi Huang's real name 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) ([4]).

Sagart (2023) instead proposes that actually 正 here wrote 隻 (OC *tek, “one”), in context where the latter's coda *-k had been nasalized by the onset of 月 (OC *[ŋ]ʷat). He reconstructs underlying *tek-ŋʷat, whence *teŋ-ŋʷat, whose appropriate readable form was 正月.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): zhēngyuè

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄥ ㄩㄝˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): zen¹ yue²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): җынйүә (žɨnyüə, I-II)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zing¹ jyut⁶

• Gan (Wiktionary): zang¹ nyyot
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): châng-ngie̍t / châng-ngia̍t

  (Hailu, HRS): zhang^ˋ ngied^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): zang¹ ngiad⁶

• Eastern Min (BUC): ciăng-nguŏk
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chiaⁿ--goe̍h / chiaⁿ-ge̍rh / chiaⁿ--ge̍h / chiaⁿ-ge̍h / chiaⁿ-goe̍h

  (Teochew, Peng'im): zian¹ ghuêh⁸

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹tsen-yuq; ¹tsen-yoq

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhēngyuè
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄥ ㄩㄝˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhengyuè
    • Wade–Giles: chêng¹-yüeh⁴
    • Yale: jēng-ywè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jengyueh
    • Palladius: чжэнъюэ (čžɛnʺjue)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: zen¹ yue²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: zenje
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sən⁵⁵ ye²¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: җынйүә (žɨnyüə, I-II)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂəŋ²⁴ yə⁵¹/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zing¹ jyut⁶
    • Yale: jīng yuht
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzing¹ jyt⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: jing¹ yud⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɪŋ⁵⁵ jyːt̚²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: zang¹ nyyot
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡saŋ⁴² n̠ʲyɵt̚²/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: châng-ngie̍t
    • Hakka Romanization System: zang^ˊ ngied
    • Hagfa Pinyim: zang¹ ngiad⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡saŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ ŋi̯et̚⁵/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: châng-ngia̍t
    • Hakka Romanization System: zang^ˊ ngiad
    • Hagfa Pinyim: zang¹ ngiad⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡saŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ ŋi̯at̚⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: zhang^ˋ ngied^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡ʃaŋ⁵³ ŋiet²/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: zang¹ ngiad⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡saŋ⁴⁴ ŋiat̚⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ciăng-nguŏk
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siaŋ⁵⁵ ŋuoʔ⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Kaohsiung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiaⁿ--goe̍h
    • Tâi-lô: tsiann--gue̍h
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiaⁿ-ge̍rh
    • Tâi-lô: tsiann-ge̍rh
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siã³³ ɡəʔ²⁴/
    • IPA (Singapore): /t͡siã⁴⁴⁻²² ɡəʔ⁴³/
  • (Hokkien: Taipei)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiaⁿ--ge̍h
    • Tâi-lô: tsiann--ge̍h
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Philippines, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiaⁿ-ge̍h
    • Tâi-lô: tsiann-ge̍h
    • Phofsit Daibuun: cvia'geh
    • IPA (Philippines): /t͡siã³³ ɡeʔ²⁴/
    • IPA (Singapore): /t͡siã⁴⁴⁻²² ɡeʔ⁴³/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡siã⁴⁴⁻²² ɡeʔ⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiaⁿ-goe̍h
    • Tâi-lô: tsiann-gue̍h
    • Phofsit Daibuun: cvia'goeh
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siã⁴⁴⁻²² ɡueʔ¹²¹/
    • IPA (Singapore): /t͡siã⁴⁴⁻²² ɡueʔ⁴³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: zian¹ ghuêh⁸
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsiaⁿ gue̍h
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sĩã³³⁻²³ ɡueʔ⁴/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹tsen-yuq; ¹tsen-yoq
    • MiniDict: tsen^平 yuih; tsen^平 yoh
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹tsen-hhyq; ¹tsen-hhioq
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sən⁵⁵ ɦyɪʔ²¹/, /t͡sən⁵⁵ ɦioʔ²¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: tsyeng ngjwot

Rime
Character	正	月
Reading #	1/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	章 (23)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	清 (121)	月 (68)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	諸盈切	魚厥切
Baxter	tsyeng	ngjwot
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕiᴇŋ/	/ŋʉɐt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕiɛŋ/	/ŋʷiɐt̚/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕiæŋ/	/ŋiuɐt̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ciajŋ/	/ŋuat̚/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕiɛŋ/	/ŋiuɐt̚/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕĭɛŋ/	/ŋĭwɐt̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/t͡ɕi̯ɛŋ/	/ŋi̯wɐt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhēng	yuè
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zing1	jyut6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.teŋ  [ŋ]ʷat/

  (Zhengzhang): /*tjeŋ  ŋod/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	正	月
Reading #	1/2	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zhēng	yuè
Middle Chinese	‹ tsyeng ›	‹ ngjwot ›
Old Chinese	/*C.teŋ/	/*[ŋ]ʷat/
English	1st (month)	moon, month
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	正	月
Reading #	1/2	1/1
No.	17171	16319
Phonetic component	正	月
Rime group	耕	月
Rime subdivision	0	3
Corresponding MC rime	征	月
Old Chinese	/*tjeŋ/	/*ŋod/
Notes	甲文從止丁聲， 徵初文

Noun

正月

1. the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar

   • 正月季春元日乙丑：余畜孫書也擇其吉金以作鑄缶。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     正月季春元日乙丑：余畜孙书也择其吉金以作铸缶。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: circa 6th century BCE, Inscription on 欒書缶 Luan Shu's fou, transcribed and translated by Caboara (2010:12).

     Zhēngyuè jìchūn yuánrì yǐchǒu: yú xù sūn Shū yě zé qí jíjīn yǐ zuò zhù fǒu. [Pinyin]

     In the third month of spring, first month (of the year), first day of Yichou, I the pious grandson, Shu, selected those solid metals to cast a fou-barrel.

   • 正月繁霜、我心憂傷。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     正月繁霜、我心忧伤。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhēngyuè fán shuāng, wǒ xīn yōushāng. [Pinyin]

     In the first month the hoar-frost abounds, and my heart is wounded with sorrow.

   • 正月蜂相見，非時鳥共聞。 [MSC, trad.]
     正月蜂相见，非时鸟共闻。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 8th century CE, 杜甫 (Du Fu)《南楚》"In the South, Chu"; translated by Owen (2017)

     Zhēngyuè fēng xiāng jiàn, fēishí niǎo gòng wén. [Pinyin]

     In the first month bees appear; unseasonable, different birds heard at the same time.

2. (Xiamen Hokkien) first three days of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar
3. (dated) January

Synonyms

• (first month): 陬月 (Zōuyuè), 寅月 (Yínyuè), 端月 (duānyuè), 元月 (Yuányuè), 初月, 嘉月, 開歲／开岁, 新正 (xīnzhēng), 隅月, 孟月 (mèngyuè), 始春, 元春
• (first three days): (Hokkien) 正月正頭／正月正头, 正月正時／正月正时

Derived terms

• 大正月
• 正月初一 (zhēngyuè chūyī)
• 正月十五 (zhēngyuè shíwǔ)
• 正月正時 / 正月正时
• 正月正頭 / 正月正头
• 正月酒
• 正月頭 / 正月头

 

See also

• Month of the Year: 正月 (zhēngyuè)
  • Previous: 臘月／腊月 (Làyuè)
  • Next: 杏月 (Xìngyuè)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
正	月
しょう Grade: 1	がつ Grade: 1
goon	kan'yōon

Alternative forms

• お正月(しょうがつ) (o-shōgatsu)

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 正月 (MC tsyeng ngjwot)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しょーがつ [shòógátsúꜜ] (Odaka – [4])
• (Tokyo) しょーがつ [shòógátsú] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ːɡa̠t͡sɨ]

Noun

正(しょう)月(がつ) • (shōgatsu) 

1. January
2. first month of the lunar year
3. New Year

Synonyms

• (New Year):
  • 元旦(がんたん) (gantan): New Year's Day
  • 元日(がんじつ) (ganjitsu): New Year's Day

See also

• 初詣(はつもうで) (hatsumōde)
• 初日(はつひ)の出(で) (hatsuhinode)
• 門松(かどまつ) (kadomatsu)
• 御御籤(おみくじ) (omikuji)
• 年賀状(ねんがじょう) (nengajō)

Korean

Hanja in this term
正	月

Noun

正月 • (jeong'wol) (hangeul 정월)

1. hanja form^? of 정월 (“the first month of the traditional Korean calendar”)