VocabularyJLPT N5 · core

二月

にがつ

hepburn nigatsu

February

Part of speech · noun

Pattern visualization

二two

月moon

Show stroke order animation

Numbers2 strokes · 1.3s

Numbers4 strokes · 2.7s

See full reference →

Examples

二月は節分があります。
February has Setsubun.
二月十四日はバレンタインだ。
February 14 is Valentines.

Collocations

二月 (nigatsu, February)節分 (setsubun, the eve of spring on Feb 3)豆まき (mamemaki, bean-throwing ritual)恵方巻き (ehoumaki, lucky-direction sushi roll)バレンタイン (barentain, Valentines Day)

Mnemonic

Nigatsu (二月) is February — home to Japans setsubun (the eve of spring on Feb 3). Cluster: (1) setsubun (the day before risshun = Feb 3 every year, with mamemaki bean-throwing and the chant "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi" — demons out, fortune in); (2) ehoumaki (a whole uncut sushi roll eaten silently while facing the lucky direction — Kansai origin, nationalized in the 1990s); (3) barentain (Feb 14 — Japans unique pattern of women giving chocolate to men, split into giri-choco "obligation" and honmei-choco "true feelings," followed by White Day mens reply on March 14). Kanji 二 cardinal "two" with on-reading ni, plus 月 reading "-gatsu" (compare ichigatsu, sangatsu). JLPT N5 plus Japans February festival cluster.

Quick check

Core chant of Japans setsubun ritual?