月份
jyut6 fan6
The English phrase "months" is translated into Cantonese as 月份 (jyut6 fan6).
月份 refers to the names of the twelve periods into which a year is divided.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 月 (jyut6), meaning 'month' or 'moon' and 份 (fan6), meaning 'part' or 'division'.
Which one should you use?
While 月 (jyut6) can mean 'month' in isolation, 月份 (jyut6 fan6) is the more formal or specific term used when referring to the calendar months as units or categories.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting a specific number of months, you use the measure word 個 (go3), as in 幾個月 (gei2 go3 jyut6).
How do you pronounce it?
jyut6 fan6
Did you know?
- The lunar calendar occasionally adds a 'leap month' to keep the calendar in sync with the solar year, resulting in a year with thirteen 月份.
- In Cantonese, the twelve months of the year are named simply by adding the number one through twelve before the word 月. This means 'January' is literally translated as 'first month'.
- The character 份 in 月份 is also used for 'portions' of food or 'copies' of a document, treating a month as a discrete 'slice' of the year.
Examples in context
- 呢幾個月份嘅天氣好熱。ni1 gei2 go3 jyut6 fan6 ge3 tin1 hei3 hou2 jit6.The weather during these months is very hot.
- 你打算邊個月份去旅行？nei5 daa2 syun3 bin1 go3 jyut6 fan6 heoi3 lei5 hang4?Which month do you plan to go traveling?
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their future travel plans.
- 子健 Tsz Kin你想邊個月份去日本？nei5 soeng2 bin1 go3 jyut6 fan6 heoi3 jat6 bun2?Which month do you want to go to Japan?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung我諗住四月或者五月。ngo5 nam2 zyu6 sei3 jyut6 waak6 ze2 ng5 jyut6.I'm thinking of April or May.
- 子健 Tsz Kin嗰啲月份嘅天氣好舒服。go2 di1 jyut6 fan6 ge3 tin1 hei3 hou2 suk6 fu6.The weather in those months is very comfortable.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung係呀，我好期待。hai6 aa3, ngo5 hou2 kei4 doi6.Yes, I am really looking forward to it.
