５月

• Reading: ごがつ
• Romaji: gogatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 五 (go) — five; 月 (gatsu/tsuki) — month
• Pronunciation: /ɡo.ɡa.tsɯ/

Meaning

May. The fifth month of the year.

Formed by combining 五 (go, five) with 月 (gatsu, month). May is famous in Japan for Golden Week (ゴールデンウィーク), a series of national holidays clustered together, making it the longest vacation period outside of New Year and Obon.

Examples

1. ５月はゴールデンウィークがあります。 There's Golden Week in May.
2. ５月の天気はとても気持ちいいです。 The weather in May feels really nice.
3. ５月５日はこどもの日です。 May 5th is Children's Day.

Usage Guide

Context: calendar, Golden Week, holidays

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Numerical month system: 五 (go, five) + 月 (gatsu, month). The old poetic name for May was 皐月 (satsuki), associated with rice planting season.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal