In shortIn Afghanistan the twelve Shamsi months carry the names of the twelve signs of the zodiac, in their order. In Dari they are the signs' Arabic names, from Hamal (lamb, Aries) to Hut (fish, Pisces); in Pashto they have names of their own, from Wray (lamb) to Kab (fish).
The twelve months
| Dari | Its meaning | Sign | Pashto | Its meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamal | lamb | Aries | Wray (وری) | lamb |
| 2 | Sawr | bull | Taurus | Ghwayay (غویی) | not confirmed |
| 3 | Jawza | the Arabic name of Gemini | Gemini | Gharguray (غبرګولی) | not confirmed |
| 4 | Saratan | crab | Cancer | Changash (چنګاښ) | not confirmed |
| 5 | Asad | lion | Leo | Zmaray (زمری) | lion |
| 6 | Sunbula | ear of grain | Virgo | Wazhay (وږی) | not confirmed |
| 7 | Mizan | scales | Libra | Tala (تله) | scales |
| 8 | Aqrab | scorpion | Scorpio | Laram (لړم) | scorpion |
| 9 | Qaws | bow | Sagittarius | Lindai (لیندۍ) | not confirmed |
| 10 | Jadi | kid, a young goat | Capricorn | Marghumay (مرغومی) | not confirmed |
| 11 | Dalw | bucket | Aquarius | Salwagha (سلواغه) | bucket |
| 12 | Hut | fish | Pisces | Kab (کب) | fish |
This month
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The Dari names: the signs in Arabic
The Dari month names are the Arabic names of the signs of the zodiac.1 Most of them are ordinary Arabic words for the sign's image: a lamb, a bull, a crab, a lion, scales, a scorpion, a fish. Some differ from the images used in Europe: Sunbula is an ear of grain, Qaws a bow, Jadi a young goat and Dalw a bucket. Jawza is the Arabic name of Gemini itself.2
The Pashto names
Pashto has its own names for the same twelve months.1 Several are everyday Pashto words for the same images: Wray is a lamb, Zmaray a lion, Tala scales, Laram a scorpion, Salwagha a bucket and Kab a fish.3
The months through the year
The year begins with Hamal at the March equinox, and each season takes three months: spring is Hamal, Sawr and Jawza; summer Saratan, Asad and Sunbula; autumn Mizan, Aqrab and Qaws; winter Jadi, Dalw and Hut. The first six months have 31 days, the next five 30, and Hut 29, or 30 in a leap year.4
Calendar The Shamsi months with their Qamari and Gregorian dates, for every year.Sources
- 1 The solar Hijri calendar, with the month names used in Afghanistan and their signs. Wikipedia, “Solar Hijri calendar” (its months table with the names used in Afghanistan, and the zodiac signs). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Hijri_calendar (2026-11-12)
- 2 The Arabic words of the Dari month names, in a dictionary. Wiktionary, the Arabic entries حمل، ثور، جوزاء، سرطان، أسد، سنبلة، ميزان، عقرب، قوس، جدي، دلو، حوت. en.wiktionary.org (2026-11-13)
- 3 The Pashto words, in a dictionary. Wiktionary, the Pashto entries وری، زمری، وږی، تله، لړم، سلواغه، کب. en.wiktionary.org (2026-11-13)
- 4 This site's calendar engine: the months' lengths and the leap years. Waqt’s calendar engine
Every number in this article comes from one of these sources or from Waqt's own calculations. Seen a mistake? Write to us