Getsu or Gatsu?

Konnichiwa Sayaka-san. Please explain when to use getsu or gatsu for month. In the dictionary I can only find gatsu for month but in the Rocket lessons you use getsu for month. Thank you, Michael

In the thread Atatakai or Atsui? we discussed it a little so if you want you can read what we had to say but as far as I know it's interchangeable. (Atatakai or Atsui?): href="http://japanese.rocketlanguages.com/vocabulary/atatakai-atsui-t261.html

Oh lol that was a discussion with you! xD... I checked with a native speaker that I know on skype and they said its interchangeable.

Michael san, and Derek san, Konnichiwa! :lol: As Derek-san has already mentioned, *Getsu* and *Gatsu* are 'readings' of the same Kanji *月*. The easiest way to remember when to use which, is by thinking of -GATSU as a suffix for "month of the year". In Japanese, the months of the year are numbered from 1 to 12 and given the suffix *-月* (which is read *-GATSU*) For example, 一月 *(Ichi-gatsu)*、二月*(Ni-gatsu)*、三月*(San-gatsu)* and so on. :arrow: On the other hand, *GETSU* with a small *-ka* tacked on before *-ka getsu* is a suffix indicating a __duration of time__ in months. For 1, 6, 8, and 10 it becomes *-kka getsu*. This is the suffix you use to say,_"one month" "two months" three months"_- that is, expressing a period of time in months. So, remember that *GATSU* is for __Months of the Year__, while *(ka)GETSU* is for __Duration of Months__. Hope that helped! :P

そうですか。 面白いですよね。 どうもありがとう！ I didn't know when to use each though... that was a very helpful explanation! That'll make it so much easier as I SRS.

Hi Sayaka-san, Yes, that answered my question. Thank you very much. It can be very confusing, can't it? And thank you Derek for you help. I had re-posted my question because in your previous answer, it sounded like you also had some confusion about this. I'm glad that it makes a little sense now. Michael

You are very welcome Michael-san and Derek-san! :P どういたしまして_(dō itashimashite)_