一月
yī yuè
January
一月 (yīyuè) is the Mandarin Chinese term for January, the first month of the year. It is a straightforward and common way to refer to this specific month.
What does 一月 (yī yuè) mean?
一月 (yī yuè) means “january” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “one month.”
When to use it
Neutral and universally understood. To refer to other months, simply replace 一 (yī, “one”) with the corresponding number, such as 二月 (èryuè) for February or 三月 (sānyuè) for March.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “ee-YWEH.” The first syllable “yī” is a high, flat tone, and the second syllable “yuè” is a sharp, falling tone.
Other ways to say it
- 二月èr yuèFebruary
- 十二月shí'èr yuèDecember
- 月份yuèfenmonth (general term)
Examples
一月是一年的第一个月。
yī yuè shì yī nián de dì yī ge yuè.
January is the first month of the year.
我的生日在一月。
wǒ de shēngrì zài yī yuè.
My birthday is in January.
你喜欢一月吗？
nǐ xǐhuan yī yuè ma?
Do you like January?
Pro tip: Chinese months are formed by combining the numbers one through twelve with 月 (yuè, “month”). So, 一月 is “month one,” 二月 is “month two,” and so on.
Related phrases
星期六 · Saturday月份 · Months二月 · February
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