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年食う (としくう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-u)
grow older (than expected) ; advance in age
idiomatic expression
Idiomatic expression often used when someone looks or acts older than their years, or when age catches up with them. Compare with 年を取る (neutral) and 年を食う (similar nuance).
See also: 年を食う
彼かれ は まだ 若わか い の に 、 話はな し 方かた が 年とし 食く っ てる ね 。
He's still young, but the way he talks makes him seem older.
Written forms 年とし 食く う
Standard kanji spelling for this idiomatic expression.
歳とし 食く う
Alternate kanji for 年; both are used.
Similar words 年とし を 取と る Neutral, standard expression for aging. 年食う carries a nuance of aging more than expected or in a noticeable way.
年とし を 食く う Virtually synonymous with 年食う; 年を食う includes the particle を, making it slightly more explicit grammatically.
Etymology Compound of 年 (toshi, 'year, age') and 食う (kuu, 'to eat'), literally 'to eat years'. The figurative meaning of aging likely derives from the idea of consuming or accumulating years.
