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Adar Sheni

Adar Sheni

9.9
An extra month added to the Jewish calendar in leap years after Adar
  • noun
  • /ˈɑːdɑr ˈʃeɪni/
: Adar Sheni
  • During leap years, Jews observe Adar Sheni to align the lunar and solar calendars.

Examples

  • The festival of Purim is celebrated in Adar Sheni during a leap year.

  • Some religious events are postponed to Adar Sheni to maintain their position in the calendar.

  • This year, Adar Sheni will start in March.

  • Many people celebrate holidays in Adar Sheni.

  • Jews often celebrate Purim in Adar Sheni because it falls in the leap year.

  • This year, the additional month of Adar Sheni starts after February.

  • Calendars show that Adar Sheni occurs seven times in a 19-year cycle.

Synonyms

Veadar
vsAdar Sheni
  • Specialized
9.9

An extra month added to the Hebrew calendar to keep the months in the right season

has identical meaning but uses a different traditional name

Surface Forms

Adar Sheni singular
Adar Shenis plural

Morphology

Adar + Sheni

The phrase combines Adar (a named month) with Sheni (Hebrew for "second"), so its core meaning is literally "second Adar" — an additional/adjoined month in leap years. Although full understanding of calendrical frequency requires cultural knowledge, the ordinal+month composition is transparently derivable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would grasp the basic meaning.

Etymology

The noun Adar Sheni comes from Hebrew and means a 'second' Adar because Adar is a month and Sheni means 'second', so an extra Adar is added in some years to keep the months in the right season. That's why Adar Sheni today refers to the additional month used in leap years.