moon
HSK level
月亮 (yuèliang) is the everyday Chinese word for 'the moon.'
Literally 'moon + bright,' it pairs the character 月 (which can mean both 'moon' and 'month') with 亮 ('bright') to make the celestial body unambiguous. Note that the second character is in neutral tone: yuèliang, not yuèliàng. In formal writing or poetry you often see just 月 (e.g. 明月 'bright moon,' 满月 'full moon'), but in conversation 月亮 is standard.
The moon carries enormous cultural weight in Chinese: 中秋节 (Mid-Autumn Festival) celebrates the full moon with mooncakes (月饼), and the moon symbolizes family reunion and homesickness. The classic Tang poem 'thinking of home by moonlight' (床前明月光...) is something every Chinese child memorizes. Don't confuse 月亮 (the moon) with 月 (which often means 'month' — 一月 'January').
Character by character
Memory hook: 'Bright moon' — adding 亮 ('bright') to 月 ('moon/month') tells you it's the celestial body, not a calendar month.
今天晚上的月亮真圆。
Jīntiān wǎnshang de yuèliang zhēn yuán.
Tonight's moon is really round.
spoken
孩子们喜欢看月亮。
Háizimen xǐhuan kàn yuèliang.
Children like looking at the moon.
neutral
月亮出来了，我们走吧。
Yuèliang chūlái le, wǒmen zǒu ba.
The moon has come out, let's go.
spoken
中秋节的月亮最圆。
Zhōngqiūjié de yuèliang zuì yuán.
The Mid-Autumn Festival moon is the roundest.
neutral
你看，月亮在云的后面。
Nǐ kàn, yuèliang zài yún de hòumiàn.
Look, the moon is behind the clouds.
spoken
月亮 is written with 13 strokes (月: 4, 亮: 9). Tap replay to watch each character drawn again.
月 by itself usually means 'month' in modern Chinese — 一月 ('January'), 这个月 ('this month'). To say 'moon' clearly, use 月亮.
亮 alone is the adjective 'bright' (天亮了 — 'the sky has brightened / dawn has come'). In 月亮 it loses its tone and just helps form the noun.
月饼 is 'mooncake' — the round pastry eaten at Mid-Autumn Festival, named after the full moon. Different word; same cultural connection.
Acquire it by listening
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