Word Meaning 正月

しょうがつ shougatsu

正月 is read as しょうがつ (shougatsu) and means New Year (esp. first three days).

Meaning

English

  1. New Year (esp. first three days)
  2. first month of the year
  3. January

Reading

Kana

しょうがつ

Romaji

shougatsu

Stroke Sequence

2 Characters • 9 Total Strokes

Study Signals and Categories

JLPT N4 Jōyō Grade 1 Kanken 10級 Related Words お正月,一月 Rank 2931 Priority A

Related Vocabulary

Max. 12

二十日正月

はつかしょうがつ

twentieth day of the first month (end of New Year celebrations, upon which remaining New Year's food is eaten, decorations are stowed away, etc.)

大正月

おおしょうがつ

first seven days of the year

お正月

おしょうがつ

New Year (esp. first three days)

目の正月

めのしょうがつ

feast for one's eyes

小正月

こしょうがつ

Little New Year (festival held on January 15)

新正月

しんしょうがつ

January (according to the new calendar)

女正月

おんなしょうがつ

15th day of the New Year (when women would belatedly do their New Year's greetings or go back to their parents' homes; in Kyoto and Osaka)

正月飾り

しょうがつかざり

New Year's decorations

正月太り

しょうがつぶとり

putting on weight over the New Year's holidays

旧正月

きゅうしょうがつ

lunar New Year (esp. the Chinese New Year)

墨付け正月

すみつけしょうがつ

event in which young men and women paint each others' cheeks with black ink or soot during Koshōgatsu (in the San'in region)

盆と正月が一緒に来た様

ぼんとしょうがつがいっしょにきたよう

as if the two busiest days of the year had come at the same time

Example Sentences

1

しょうがつはかぞくとすごします。

I spend New Year's with my family.