先月

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 先月、新しい仕事を始めました。▶ —
   I started a new job last month.
2. 先月の売り上げは好調でした。▶ —
   Last month's sales were strong.

Collocations

Mnemonic

せんげつ — 先月, Sino-Japanese. The opposite of 来月 raigetsu. Unpack the two kanji ── 先 (ahead) + 月 (month) = 'the month ahead' = last month. What makes 先 intriguing is that it commands space and time at once ── space: 先頭 sentou (the head of a line, the front). time: 先月 sengetsu (last month, the front of time). The same 先 works in sensei (先生 = one born before) from K-27-C ── one kanji binding the front of space, the past of time, and the senior in society into a single grain. Doubling 先, as in 先々月 sensengetsu (the month before last), pushes the time-distance further back. The Korean readings seon / wol are sister to the onyomi せん / げつ.

Quick check

1. Etymological meaning of sensei?

   • One born earlier = mentor / teacher (先 + 生)
   • Abbreviation
   • Borrowed from Korean "seonsaeng"
   • Pure phonetic transliteration