According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the full moon is traditionally associated with the fifteenth day of each month. However, the moon is not always at its fullest on the fifteenth; sometimes, it reaches its fullest on the sixteenth, or even the seventeenth. The saying suggests that things may not happen as expected, the best is yet to come. The pomegranate, shíliú (石榴), also shares a similar sound with shíliù (十六), meaning "sixteen." Round and filled with countless seeds, the pomegranate carries its own symbolism of fullness, abundance, and fertility.

在中国农历的传统中，十五往往与圆月联系在一起。但月亮并不总是在十五最圆，有时会到十六才呈现最圆满的状态。因此，“十五的月亮十六圆”也可以理解为：事情未必会在预想的时间发生，有时候，最好的还在后面。石榴（shíliú）与“十六”（shíliù）的发音相近。石榴形态圆润，内部包裹着众多籽粒，因此本身也象征着圆满、丰盛与多子多福。月未必十五最圆，也许，真正的圆满还在后面。