Translation guide
How to express 'years' in Japanese, depending on whether you mean a duration, a specific year, age, or a period.
Expressing a span of time in years (e.g., 'for three years', 'many years').
Attach to a number to say 'X years'. Use with 間 (かん) to emphasize duration, but often omitted.
I have lived in Japan for three years.
He was in America for five years.
Means 'many years' or 'for a long time'. Often used with verbs.
Formal/literary word for 'many years'. Used in written contexts.
Referring to a particular year, like 'this year', 'last year', or a numbered year.
This year. Note: not 'こんねん'.
Talking about someone's age.
Referring to a year in school or university.
Suffix for 'year student'. E.g., 一年生 (first-year student).
Referring to a historical period or era.
Means 'era' or 'period'. Used for historical periods like 江戸時代 (Edo period).
年 (ねん) is for counting years as a duration or calendar year. 歳 (さい) is the counter for age. Do not mix them up.
3年 (three years) vs. 3歳 (three years old)
I've been studying Japanese for five years.
長年お世話になりました。
Thank you for your support over the years.
Utilize many years of experience.
今年は何年ですか？
What year is it this year?
Last year.
I went to Japan last year.
Next year.
I will graduate from university next year.
Attach to a number to say a specific year (e.g., 2024年).
The Olympics were held in 2024.
She is 8 years old.
Rarely used for age, mainly in formal contexts like '年齢' (age). Not recommended for everyday use.
Do not use 年 alone for age; use 歳.
What is your age?
I am a second-year university student.
Used in contexts like '高校３年' (third year of high school). Often combined with 生.
I studied abroad in my third year of high school.
The Edo period lasted for many years.
Means 'age', 'era', or 'decade'. Often used for decades like 1980年代 (the 1980s).
I was born in the 1990s.
Some ages have special readings: 1歳 (いっさい), 8歳 (はっさい), 10歳 (じゅっさい/じっさい), 20歳 (はたち).
What year were you born?