月光
yuèguāng
The English word moonlight is translated into Chinese as 月光 (yuèguāng). Wiktionary also lists 月色 (yuèsè).
Meaning: light reflected from the Moon (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 月光 | yuèguāng |
| 月色 | yuèsè |
The term refers to the light reflected from the Moon.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 月光 is composed of 月 (moon) and 光 (light).
Which one should you use?
While 月光 refers specifically to the light itself, 月色 refers more broadly to the color, beauty or the overall atmosphere and scenery created by the moonlight.
How do you pronounce it?
yuèguāng
Did you know?
- There is a modern slang term 月光族 (yuèguāngzú), which literally means 'moonlight clan', referring to people who spend their entire salary before the next month's pay arrives.
- The character 光 in 月光 can also mean 'glory' or 'honor' in other contexts, suggesting the moon possesses a certain kind of celestial dignity.
- The concept of 'moonlight' in Chinese culture is deeply tied to the Mid-Autumn Festival, where the brightness of the light is a symbol of family reunion.
Examples in context
- 小木屋沐浴在月光之中。The little cabin was bathed in moonlight.The first sentence shows how to describe an object being bathed in 月光.Tatoeba #2680869 by tsayng, translation #267546 by CM
- 月光真美。The moonlight is beautiful.The second sentence is a simple way to describe the beauty of the 月光.Tatoeba #2680872 by tsayng, translation #2045786 by CK
- 她關了燈，好享受月光。She turned off the lights so she could enjoy the moonlight.The third sentence shows how someone might turn off lights to enjoy the 月光.Tatoeba #10270506 by DaoSeng, translation #313444 by CK
- 昨晚，我在月光下散步了。Last night, I took a walk under the moonlight.
- 草原上的月色如水，美得让人陶醉。The moonlight on the grassland is like water, beautiful enough to intoxicate people.
- 今晚月亮的光真美，我们一起去散步吧！The moonlight is beautiful tonight, let's take a walk together!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yuting and Junjie are walking in a park at night.
- 雨婷 Yuting这里的月光很亮。Zhèlǐ de yuèguāng hěn liàng.The moonlight is very bright here.
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，不用路灯也能看到路。Shì de, bùyòng lùdēng yě néng kàndào lù.Yes, we can see the road without streetlights.
- 雨婷 Yuting我最喜欢这种月光下的感觉。Wǒ zuì xǐhuān zhè zhǒng yuèguāng xià de gǎnjué.I love the feeling under the moonlight the most.
- 俊杰 Junjie我也一样，感觉很安静。Wǒ yě yīyàng, gǎnjué hěn ānjìng.Me too, it feels very peaceful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “moonlight” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
