月份

• Pinyin: yuè fèn
• Hanzi breakdown: 月 = pictograph of a crescent moon, also meaning 'month'; 份 = 亻 (person) + 分 (divide), meaning 'portion/share'

Meaning

Month. Refers to a specific month of the year or months in general.

Used when talking about months as a concept or asking which month: 几月份？(Which month?). Slightly more colloquial than just 月. While 月 is used with numbers (一月, 二月), 月份 is used in a more general sense or added after the month number for emphasis.

Examples

1. 你是几月份的生日？ What month is your birthday in?
2. 六月份天气开始变热了。 The weather starts getting hot in June.
3. 这个月份很适合旅游。 This time of year is great for travelling.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, time, conversation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你打算几月份去旅游？(Which month are you planning to travel?)
• 三月份春天就来了。(Spring comes in March.)

Don't Say

• 今天是六月份十号。(Don't combine 月份 with a specific date — say 六月十号 without 份 when giving a full date.)

Origin & History

Compound of 月 (moon/month) and 份 (portion/share/classifier), making the reference to calendar months more explicit.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal