Japanese dictionary
How to say "year" in Japanese
年ねん · nen
"Year" in Japanese is 年. With numbers it is read ねん (nen): 2026年. As a word on its own, it is read とし (toshi).
▶ plays native audio. Audio on this site plays when you are logged in to your free japanese.ccn.jp account (the same account as Japanese Talk by CCN).
Ways to say "year" in Japanese
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 年ねん · nen | Year (counter; with numbers). |
| 年とし · toshi | Year (as a word). |
| 〜年間ねんかん · nenkan | For ... years (length of time). |
How to use it
For a length of time, add 間: 三年間 (sannenkan), "for three years."
This year is 今年 (kotoshi), last year 去年 (kyonen), next year 来年 (rainen).
Example sentences
- 日本に来て三年になります。Nihon ni kite sannen ni narimasu.It's been three years since I came to Japan.
- 今年の目標は何ですか。Kotoshi no mokuhyō wa nan desu ka.What is your goal for this year?
- 来年、日本語能力試験を受けます。Rainen, Nihongo Nōryoku Shiken o ukemasu.I'll take the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test next year.
- 二年間、大阪で働きました。Ninenkan, Ōsaka de hatarakimashita.I worked in Osaka for two years.
- 去年の冬は雪が多かったです。Kyonen no fuyu wa yuki ga ōkatta desu.There was a lot of snow last winter.
- 良いお年をお迎えください。Yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai.Have a happy New Year.
Kanji in this word
Questions
How do you say "this year," "last year" and "next year" in Japanese?
This year is 今年 (kotoshi), last year is 去年 (kyonen), and next year is 来年 (rainen).
What does 良いお年を mean?
良いお年を (yoi otoshi o) is said at the end of the year, meaning "Have a happy New Year."
Using Japanese at work?
See Executive JapaneseExecutive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.