Japanese Months Chart: 1月 to 12月

Q: How do you say the months in Japanese?

Japanese months use numbers plus 月, but a few readings are irregular enough that beginners should memorize the whole chart once.

Q: What is January in Japanese?

January in Japanese is 一月, read ichigatsu.

Q: What is April in Japanese?

April in Japanese is 四月, read shigatsu.

Q: Why are some Japanese month readings irregular?

The irregularity is mostly in pronunciation. Certain month numbers keep traditional sound patterns, such as 四月, 七月, and 九月.

Q: How do Japanese months appear in full dates?

Japanese dates normally follow year plus month plus day, so a month appears in the middle, such as 2026年7月15日.

Q: What is the best way to memorize Japanese months?

Learn the regular number-plus-gatsu pattern first, then focus extra attention on the irregular month readings like April, July, and September.

This Japanese months chart shows all 12 month names in kanji and hiragana. Most months are just number plus 月, but beginners should memorize the irregular readings for 四月, 七月, and 九月. Once you know the chart, reading full dates like 2026年7月15日 becomes much easier.

Most important trap months: 四月, 七月, and 九月.

Written by YoruLearn Team · Last reviewed: August 2026

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Months in Japanese Chart

Month	Japanese	Reading	Notes
January	一月	いちがつ	regular
February	二月	にがつ	regular
March	三月	さんがつ	regular
April	四月	しがつ	irregular
May	五月	ごがつ	regular
June	六月	ろくがつ	regular
July	七月	しちがつ	irregular
August	八月	はちがつ	regular
September	九月	くがつ	irregular
October	十月	じゅうがつ	regular
November	十一月	じゅういちがつ	regular
December	十二月	じゅうにがつ	regular

How Japanese Months Work Inside Dates

7月15日 — July 15th
2026年4月2日 — April 2, 2026
9月24日 — September 24th

The month sits in the middle of the date expression. To build a full date, combine year, month, and day in that order.

Using Months in Full Japanese Dates

English	Japanese date	Reading
January 1	1月1日	ichigatsu tsuitachi
April 14	4月14日	shigatsu juuyokka
July 20	7月20日	shichigatsu hatsuka
September 24	9月24日	kugatsu nijuuyokka

Month numbers are regular, but three readings deserve special attention: April is しがつ, July is しちがつ, and September is くがつ. Day readings are the irregular part, so pair this chart with the 1st–31st date chart.

5 Common Mistakes with Japanese Months

Reading April as よんがつ. The standard reading is しがつ.
Reading July as なながつ. The standard reading is しちがつ.
Reading September as きゅうがつ. The standard reading is くがつ.
Forgetting that months are easier than day names. The month pattern is mostly regular; day names are where the bigger irregularity appears.
Not practicing full dates. Month names stick faster when you say them inside real dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say the months in Japanese?

Japanese months use numbers plus 月, with a few important irregular readings.

What is January in Japanese?

January is 一月, read いちがつ.

What is April in Japanese?

April is 四月, read しがつ.

Why are some Japanese month readings irregular?

Some month names keep older sound patterns, especially April, July, and September.

How do Japanese months appear in full dates?

Japanese dates usually follow year, month, day order, such as 2026年7月15日.

What is the best way to memorize Japanese months?

Learn the number-plus-月 pattern first, then focus on the three main irregular months.

Related Study Pages

Japanese Date FormatHow full dates are written correctly. Days of the Month in Japanese1st to 31st with key irregular readings. Days of the Week in JapaneseMonday to Sunday with kanji meanings. Japanese Time ExpressionsToday, tomorrow, last year, and more.

Practice Date Vocabulary with YoruLearn

The YoruLearn app helps you retain month names, date patterns, and schedule vocabulary through spaced repetition flashcards, reading practice, and adaptive review.

Get on iOS Join Android waitlist Study Day Readings

Japanese Date Reading and Planning Lab

Months become easier when you use them in a full date. Pick a date, add a short event word, and say the phrase aloud.

DateEvent in Japanese (optional)

Continue with irregular day readings, weekdays, and the standard Japanese date format.