Translation guide
Expresses a particular season, period, or point in the year. Japanese uses specific seasonal words, compound nouns, and contextual phrasing rather than a single direct equivalent.
What's your favorite time of year?
It's a beautiful time of year.
Referring to a specific season or time characterized by weather, events, or nature.
General word for 'season'. Can be used for the four seasons or any distinct period of the year.
This time of year, there are many tourists.
My favorite time of year is autumn.
Refers to a specific time or season, often with a nuance of 'the right time' for something.
Loanword from English 'season', used for sports, tourism, or specific activities.
Referring to a particular time of year without naming a season, often in relation to events or conditions.
Attach to a noun to mean 'the time/period of ~'. Very common and flexible.
Please be careful during typhoon season (the time of year for typhoons).
It gets busy around graduation time (the time of year for graduation).
Means 'around the time of ~', often used for approximate times of year.
I want to come again around cherry blossom time (that time of year).
Formal/literary term for 'season' or 'time of year', often used in writing.
Referring to a time of year associated with a specific holiday or recurring event.
Used for commercial or event seasons, like Christmas or sales.
The town becomes beautiful during the Christmas season (that time of year).
Indicating the best or typical time to do something.
Directly translating 'time of year' as 年の時 (としのとき) is unnatural. Use 季節, 時期, or contextual phrases instead.
Now is just the time of year for cherry blossom viewing.
スキーシーズンは12月からです。
Ski season (the time of year for skiing) is from December.
この時節は体調を崩しやすい。
At this time of year, it's easy to get sick.
The New Year holiday period, a culturally significant time of year in Japan.
I spend the New Year's holiday (that time of year) with my family.