年
year · counter for years
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Cycle of rice ripening and harvesting. Shape of person carrying rice.
Symbolism
Years, time, growth. '年' is time unit from agricultural culture.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Years passing
Seasonal
"New Year" and "year's end" are the greatest seasonal events symbolizing winter-to-spring transition. The yearly cycle frames Japanese seasonal sensibility.
Words & Expressions
Words written with 年
Four-Character Compounds
十年一日
じゅうねんいちじつ
without intermission for ten (long) years; with constancy of purpose for ten (long) years; in the same old rut for years on end
年功加俸
ねんこうかほう
long service allowance; longevity pay
年功序列
ねんこうじょれつ
seniority by length of service
年中行事
ねんちゅうぎょうじ
annual function; annual event
年百年中
ねんびゃくねんじゅう
throughout the year; all the year round; always
年年歳歳
ねんねんさいさい
annually; every year; year in year out
十年一昔
じゅうねんひとむかし
the pace of change makes ten years back seem like ancient history
豊年満作
ほうねんまんさく
bumper crops; year of a full rice harvest
歳々年々
さいさいねんねん
annually; every year; year in and year out
百年河清
ひゃくねんかせい
waiting for one hundred years for the waters of the Yellow River to clear; waiting in vain for an unlikely event; waiting for pigs to fly
面壁九年
めんぺきくねん
facing a wall for nine years in meditation (by Bodhidharma at Shaolin Temple)
Proverbs & Idioms
年寄りの冷や水
としよりのひやみず
Old person's cold water
An elderly person acting inappropriately young
少年老い易く学成り難し
しょうねんおいやすくがくなりがたし
Youth ages quickly, learning is hard to achieve
Time flies, so study diligently while young
年貢の納め時
ねんぐのおさめどき
Time to pay the annual tribute
Time to face the consequences
Poetry
契りおきし させもが露を いのちにて あはれ今年の 秋もいぬめり
I lived on the promise you made, like dew on a moxa leaf — and now this autumn too is passing.
Anime & Manga
地縛少年 花子くん
Toilet-bound Hanako-kun
A well-known work with 年 in its Japanese title.
BLEACH 千年血戦篇
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War
A well-known work with 年 in its Japanese title.
スライム倒して300年、知らないうちにレベルMAXになってました
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level
A well-known work with 年 in its Japanese title.
ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ 4th Season 2年生編1学期
Classroom of the Elite 4th Season: Second Year, First Semester
A well-known work with 年 in its Japanese title.
20世紀少年
20th Century Boys
A well-known work with 年 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 年 mean in Japanese?
年 means year, counter for years.
How do you read 年?
On'yomi: ネン (NEN). Kun'yomi: とし (toshi).
How many strokes does 年 have?
年 has 6 strokes. Its radical is 干 (dry).
Is 年 a good kanji for a tattoo?
年 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means year, counter for years. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.