How to Say "September" in Japanese

九月

kugatsu[kɯ̟ɡa̠t͡sɨ]

In Japanese, September is said as 九月 (kugatsu). Wiktionary also lists 長月 (nagatsuki).

Meaning: ninth month of the Gregorian calendar (name)

Ways to say it

“September” in Japanese
Japanese	Romanization (Wiktionary)	IPA
九月	kugatsu	[kɯ̟ɡa̠t͡sɨ] (narrow)
長月	nagatsuki	[na̠ɡa̠t͡sɨ̥kʲi] (narrow)

The term refers to the ninth month of the Gregorian calendar.

The word 九月 is composed of the kanji for nine (九) and month (月).

九月 is the standard term for the month, whereas 長月 is a poetic, traditional name used in literature or seasonal contexts.

kugatsu

While 九月 is the calendar name, Japanese people often associate the month with お月見 (Otsukimi), the traditional festival of moon viewing.
In Japanese literature, the term 長月 is part of a set of twelve traditional names for the months, each linked to specific seasonal shifts.
The traditional name 長月 translates literally to 'long month' because it was believed the nights grew longer during this time of year.

九月で彼女と知り合ってまる一年経つことになる。
By September I will have known her for a whole year.
This sentence shows how to count a period of time ending in 九月.
Tatoeba #179547 by bunbuku, translation #18405 by Zifre
一年の十二ヶ月とは、一月、二月、三月、四月、五月、六月、七月、八月、九月、十月、十一月、十二月です。
The twelve months of the year are January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December.
This sentence lists the months of the year, including 九月.
Tatoeba #1614595 by Meow, translation #10830295 by Luornu
九月の朝だった。
It was a September morning.
This sentence uses 九月 to describe a specific time of day in that month.
Tatoeba #8456464 by Raymondmyman, translation #10720055 by DJ_Saidez
私の誕生日は九月です。
My birthday is in September.

Yui and Yota are discussing their upcoming travel plans.

結衣 Yui

九月に旅行に行きませんか？
Kugatsu ni ryokou ni ikimasen ka?
Would you like to go on a trip in September?
陽太 Yota

いいですね、九月なら空いています。
Ii desu ne, kugatsu nara aite imasu.
That sounds good, I am free in September.
結衣 Yui

陽太さんは、どこに行きたいですか？
Youta-san wa, doko ni ikitai desu ka?
Where do you want to go, Yota?
陽太 Yota

海が見える場所がいいです。
Umi ga mieru basho ga ii desu.
A place where we can see the sea would be nice.

Sources

Wiktionary, “September” translations and entries 九月, 長月, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries 九月, 長月, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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