1.
lunar calendar
A calendar system based on the cycles of the moon. In Japanese context, typically refers to the traditional lunisolar calendar used in Japan before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1873.
陰暦の正月はいつですか。
When is New Year on the lunar calendar?
日本は明治から陰暦をやめて太陽暦を使っている。
Japan stopped using the lunar calendar and adopted the solar calendar starting from the Meiji era.
七夕やお盆は元々陰暦の行事なので、地域によって日にちが違う。
Tanabata and Obon were originally lunar calendar events, so the dates differ by region.
Literally "shadow calendar" — 陰 (shadow/yin) refers to the moon (as opposed to 陽/sun). Japan officially switched from the lunisolar calendar (旧暦) to the Gregorian calendar (新暦) in 1873 (Meiji 6), but lunar calendar dates still influence many traditional events.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 陰暦の正月 — lunar New Year
- 陰暦何月何日 — such-and-such date on the lunar calendar
- 陰暦で数える — to count by the lunar calendar
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 旧暦 — old calendar (more common in everyday speech for referring to the pre-Meiji calendar)
- 太陰暦 — pure lunar calendar (more technical; strictly moon-based without solar correction)
- 太陽暦 — solar calendar (the opposite: based on the sun, i.e., the Gregorian calendar)
- 新暦 — new calendar (the Gregorian calendar, contrasted with 旧暦)