Chinese character for moon: 月 (yuè)
The Chinese character for moon is 月 (yuè). It means moon and month, and appears in 月亮 (yuèliang, the moon) and 一月 (yīyuè, January). The moon is a symbol of reunion and longing in Chinese poetry.
How 月 is built
月 is a pictograph of a crescent moon; the two short lines inside were once a single mark that distinguished it from other shapes. Because the moon measures time, it also means month. Be aware that the same shape 月 on the left of characters like 肚 (belly) and 胖 (fat) is a different part, meaning flesh. It is identical in simplified and traditional Chinese.
月 yuè · month
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 二 — two strokes
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: A crescent moon (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
How 月 is used
Other ways to say moon
- 月亮 yuèliang — the moon, everyday speech
Before you use it as a tattoo or design: 月 alone often reads as 'month', so many people choose 月亮 to mean the moon itself.
Questions
What is the Chinese character for moon?
月 (yuè) means “moon”.
How do you pronounce 月?
月 is pronounced yuè.