年: the kanji for year
年 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means year. Below are its readings, 18 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
年 is written in 6 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
年 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 17 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ネン (nen)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 来年らいねん · rainen | next year |
| 去年きょねん · kyonen | last year |
| 一年いちねん · ichinen | one year |
| 年末ねんまつ · nenmatsu | the end of the year |
| 年始ねんし · nenshi | the start of the year |
| 年齢ねんれい · nenrei | age |
| 年収ねんしゅう · nenshū | annual income |
| 年金ねんきん · nenkin | pension |
| 年間ねんかん · nenkan | yearly; per year |
| 新年しんねん · shinnen | the New Year |
| 年度ねんど · nendo | fiscal or school year |
| 少年しょうねん · shōnen | boy |
とし (toshi)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 年とし · toshi | year; age |
| 年上としうえ · toshiue | older |
| 年下としした · toshishita | younger |
| 年寄りとしより · toshiyori | elderly person |
| 年越しとしこし · toshikoshi | seeing out the old year |
Special readings to learn as whole words
These words use 年, but their readings do not follow the readings above. The Jōyō Kanji Table lists them as special readings. Learn each one as a whole word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 今年ことし · kotoshi | this year |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 来年、日本で働きます。Rainen, Nihon de hatarakimasu.I'll work in Japan next year.
- 年末は忙しいです。Nenmatsu wa isogashii desu.The end of the year is busy.
- 今年度の予算を確認します。Konnendo no yosan o kakunin shimasu.I'll check the budget for this fiscal year.
- 去年、東京に引っ越しました。Kyonen, Tōkyō ni hikkoshimashita.I moved to Tokyo last year.
- 彼は私より三つ年上です。Kare wa watashi yori mittsu toshiue desu.He is three years older than me.
- 新年あけましておめでとうございます。Shinnen akemashite omedetō gozaimasu.Happy New Year.
Questions about 年
How many strokes does 年 have?
年 is written in 6 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 年?
The on readings are nen (ネン). The kun readings are toshi (とし).
What does 年度 mean?
年度 (nendo) is a business or school year. In Japan, the fiscal and school year usually starts in April.
What JLPT level is 年?
N5. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N5 is designed to match the former Level 4.
More JLPT N5 kanji
Days and time
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 年
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.