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四月 (sì yuè) — April (fourth month of the Gregorian calendar); fourth month of the lunar calendar

Definition

Literally 'fourth month' — 四月 is the standard way to say 'April' in modern Chinese. In the lunar calendar context (农历四月) it means the fourth lunar month, not April.

noun
April (fourth month of the Gregorian calendar)fourth month of the lunar calendar

Examples

  • 四月。
    sì yuè Shì chūn tiān de yí gè yuè.
    April is a month of spring.
  • 四月。
    Nóng lì sì yuè shì xià tiān kāi shǐ de shí hou.
    The fourth lunar month is when summer begins.
  • 四月。
    Wǒ sì yuè yào qù běi jīng lǚ xíng.
    I'm going to travel to Beijing in April.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

四sìfour
月yuèmonth

The number four specifies which month, giving the fourth month.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.

Open 四 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

月 was drawn as a crescent moon, with the curved outline showing the moon’s shape.

Open 月 →
Appears in
Months & Dates

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