五月病
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | ||
|---|---|---|
| 五 | 月 | 病 |
| ご Grade: 1 | がつ Grade: 1 | びょう Grade: 3 |
| on’yomi | ||
Etymology
Literally “May disease” – the Japanese school year and financial year (including new hires) starts in April, thus by May, after the initial period, new students or new hires may be feeling a let-down or depression.
This is also associated with the change of seasons (spring to summer) – compare spring fever – and with the main public holiday season at the end of April and the start of May of each year (Golden Week), specifically returning from holiday and re-adapting to work.
Pronunciation
- On’yomi
- IPA(key): [ɡo̞ɡa̠t͡sɨᵝbʲo̞ː]
Noun
五月病 (hiragana ごがつびょう, rōmaji gogatsubyō)
- Depression sometimes seen in new hires or new students; loosely, “(start of) summer fever”.